Some Dallas Restaurants Say 75% Capacity Is Too High During Pandemic
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - This past weekend marked the first since Texas restaurants go could to 75% capacity since the shutdowns early in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The change was part of Phase 3 to reopen the state.
For popular Dallas sushi restaurant Oishii, that means 116 guests can now dine in at a time.
But they aren't - and that's on purpose.
"We're actually a little less than 50%" said general manager Fabian Hernandez. "We have ten tables in our main dining room. On this side, we have five tables. At the sushi bar, we have six tables of two."
Hernandez said nothing changed on Friday, and that's because they couldn't follow social distancing guidelines and increase occupancy to 75%.
"I feel, at 75%, I don't know what that would look like, and I feel that a lot of people would be hesitant to be in a dining room this small with that many tables," he said.
So the tables remain spread out, and precautions such as taking the temperature of every guest continue.
Dallas Restaurateur Working to Build Customer Confidence, Get Business Back On Track During Pandemic
At the Rustic in Dallas, social distancing also prevented them from increasing occupancy indoors. But other changes helped.
"The biggest thing for us, because we're such a family-friendly venue and a place where people just like to come and hang out, being able to put 10 people at a table was huge for us," said manager Jens Pedersen.
He said that plus their large patio made for a big weekend sales-wise.
"Sales were through the roof. We were really busy," he said.
A promising sign, but both restaurants say safety is the bottom line that matters the most.
"We're comfortable with where we are now. We're in no hurry," said Hernandez. "We're just happy to be open."
Despite the phased-in reopenings, it's still a grim picture for the restaurant business. According to the Texas Restaurant Association, 14% of all restaurants have already closed. They expect that number to hit 30%.
