Miami-Dade Movie Theaters, Bowling Alleys, Other Entertainment Venues Reopen Under Phase 2
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Friday marked the first official day of Phase 2 reopening in Miami-Dade County.
County Mayor Carlos Gimenez has allowed movie theaters, bowling alleys, concert and banquet halls, playhouses, and arcades to reopen. But there are strict guidelines to keep COVID-19 from spreading, like 50% capacity and wearing a facial covering.
The fun has already started on the first day at several businesses.
Gary Frohman, who co-owns FunDimension Entertainment Center with his wife in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood, said this, "It has been really tough. We've gone from trying to run a family entertainment center to looking for all sorts of ways in order to keep our doors open."
As of Friday afternoon, arcades were allowed to be open and families showed up with their children.
Customers and workers were seen wearing facial coverings, which is a requirement.
Frohman has an employee whose sole job is cleaning. He also hired someone to use a disinfectant spray overnight.
"It's costly but it's the right thing to do. We also have social distancing signs," he said.
The sound of a ball hitting the floor and pins falling can be heard once again at Bird Bowl in Southwest Miami-Dade.
"A lot of feelings. A lot of emotions to finally be able to practice the sport that I truly love," Edgar Berdeguer said.
Facial coverings are also required. Some lanes are not used for families to keep a distance. Food and drinks are in a different area.
"We are very excited. It has been a long time coming and we want to get back to some normalcy," Bird Bowl program director Susan Coile said.
Coile is the program director.
The reopening is happening at a time when Miami-Dade is continuing to see its positivity rate fall. As of Friday, the average two-week infection rate for new cases in Miami-Dade is 4.93%.
Whether families are bowling, watching a movie, or trying to win a prize at the arcade, they'll be helping employees and owners recover from being closed.
Not every place allowed to do business will immediately open, like Actors' Playhouse at The Miracle Theater. They're waiting on the actors union to allow their talent to perform. But safety measures are in place.
"We have Plexiglas in place. We have thermometers in place, masks ready, and social distancing," Barbara Stein said.
Executive Producing Director Stein says the closure has made them lose roughly $2.5 million in much-needed revenue. Once open, because of restrictions, it'll still be tough to try to make money. However, she's hopeful the available seats will be filled.
"Our 600 seat theater is down to 200 seats and our 300 seat space is down to 100 seats," she said.
Bar owners are hoping for a reopening during phase 2. County Mayor Gimenez is expected to meet with them next week to draft rules.
