“I am excited about coming back,” Stella Bleu Bistro Chef and Co-Owner Darin Mitchell said.
Tammy Mundy, owner of Mundy’s Diner said, “We’ve missed them (our customers).”
Other restaurants that will reopen indoor dining today include Bob Evans, O’Charley’s, O’Conners Irish Pub, Rudy’s Smokehouse, Taylor’s Tavern, The Ole Brick Tavern and Wayside Tavern.
“We feel comfortable that we can create an environment that is in tune and in harmony with other people telling us how to operate,” Rudy Mosketti, co-owner of Rudy’s Smokehouse said.
Mosketti explained that only half of their dining room seating will be open to ensure social distancing.
“It looks great. It looks comfortable,” Mosketti said. “We’re really welcoming the opportunity to have customers sit down and enjoy it.”
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To prepare for the reopening, Mindy Hogan-Taylor, owner of Taylor’s Tavern said that she deep-cleaned the dining room using a product called BioShield.
The two-step product lasts for 90 days and is supposed to kill all bacteria and most viruses, Hogan-Taylor explained. She said that the product has not been approved for COVID-19, but she decided to use it as an additional precautionary measure.
Other precautionary measures include cleaning high-touch areas every two hours, having employees wear masks, using disposable menus and displaying sanitizing stations, Hogan-Taylor added.
“I’m very excited to reopen and see our customers coming back,” Hogan-Taylor said. “I’m also leery in the same way, but we’re doing everything on our end to ensure the safety of the customers and the employees.”
Stella Bleu Bistro is having their customers enter the restaurant through one door and exit through another door to limit the possible exposure to COVID-19, Mitchell explained. He said they are adding glass to the booths.
The bistro will also have outdoor dining on the restaurant’s new patio.
Taylor’s Tavern and Stella Bleu Bisto are encouraging their customers to make reservations or call-ahead for seating.
Another important precautionary measure that Hogan-Taylor wants customers to understand is that they can not move around and socialize with other customers.
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Hogan-Taylor said that she will continue to ensure the safety of customers and employees “as long as I can control my situation and make sure that nothing gets out of control and there are no issues as far as people gathering when they are not supposed to be.”
Some restaurants like Guerra’s Krazy Taco and Texas Roadhouse Springfield will remain open for carryout as they wait to reopen their indoor dining areas.
Felix Guerra III, owner of Guerra’s Krazy Taco said he is thinking about reopening outdoor dining on May 27 and indoor dining in mid June.
Texas Roadhouse is planning to reopen indoor dining on Tuesday, May 26, according to a press release from Travis Shearing, managing partner of Texas Roadhouse Springfield.
“We are utilizing the additional time to train our staff on enhanced sanitation protocols, while remaining open for curbside to-go,” Shearing said in the press release.
Un Mundo Cafe said in their most recent Facebook post that they are postponing reopening until June 15.
“We appreciate your patience and understanding during these challenging times,” the post said.
Several restaurant owners said that they are doing everything they can to make their customers feel as comfortable as possible during the pandemic.
“I plan on being here for a long time,” Mitchell said. “We want to make sure our customer base wants to come back and feels as safe as they possibly can.”
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