DENVER (CBS4) – After months of scraping by with takeout and delivery, many restaurants opened their doors for dine-in services on Wednesday, following the state’s new safety guidelines. At Union Station, Stoic and Genuine and Ultreia opened up at 11 a.m., not knowing what to expect.
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At first, guests slowly trickled in, but business became more steady throughout the day. By the evening, Stoic and Genuine had more than 60 reservations on the books. For both restaurants, Wednesday was the first taste of the “new normal” under new, strict safety guidelines.
“We’re doing everything we can to not only keep our guests safe, but to get our employees safe,” said Beth Gruitch, a proprietor with Crafted Concepts, which manages Stoic and Genuine and Ultreia. “Masks are required, we’re disinfecting on a regular basis, it’s a different style of dining for us.”
It was a different style of dining for the guests as well. Throughout the afternoon, many opted to sit on the patio, rather than inside, where there are only a handful of tables because of capacity limits. In either location, the tables are 6 feet apart, and staff could be seen disinfecting them in between guests.
(credit: CBS)
“For us it’ll be normal,” said Erich Hugunin, a customer. “I’m more worried about the restaurants. It’s hard to sustain a business with 6 tables inside, for example.”
Gruitch said an eventual patio expansion will be a lifesaver for her restaurants. The city of Denver has received 417 applications to do so, and is working with businesses on revising plans and getting inspections. On Wednesday, the Dive Inn was the first business to have its application approved.
“We are definitely relying on our patio seating and praying to the rain gods that they take it easy on us this summer,” Gruitch said.
Until the applications for Gruitch’s restaurants are approved, they’ll make due with the space they have.
“Getting out and having guests in front of us and seeing staff is really cool,” she said. “I woke up today super excited.”
Across town at Oblio’s Pizzeria, it was a different scene. Rather than a patio full of customers, the neighborhood staple had numerous signs displayed all over, with positive messages for the surrounding community.
(credit: CBS)
Owner Morgan McKay worries opening for dine-in service now could risk her employees’ health.
“So to have them with customers that are lingering for two hours without masks, I feel like it’s putting them at risk, it’s putting the other customers at risk, just because we don’t know much about the virus yet,” McKay said. “We just don’t want to risk it all. It’s just not worth our lives, our livelihoods.”
For now, the pizzeria will stick with takeout and delivery, something it’s well-suited to do. McKay said she’s supportive of other restaurant owners doing what’s best for them.
“You’ve got to do what you’re going to do,” she said. “We’re going to support everyone, of course.”
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May 28, 2020 at 07:49AM
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Colorado Restaurants Have A Choice To Open For Dine-In Under New State Guidelines - CBS Denver
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