For many locals, the COVID 19 pandemic has given new meaning to the phrase cabin fever, but now as restrictions begin to lift, many who want to go out for a bite to eat may have to wait for a little longer depending on their preference.
As Gov. Greg Abbott has continued to move forward with the reopening of Texas as a whole, it has now allowed for local restaurants to move to a 50 percent capacity for their dine-in clientele.
However, some opted to continue their curbside pickup or drive-thru options only. This isn’t from not wanting to open, but rather to ensure the extended safety for all customers and staff, and considering the continued impacts the county has seen with the coronavirus.
Local favorite Sandwich Etc. was one of those who opted not to reopen their dining area, saying that at this time, “it is important to all of us to keep our employees and customers safe and healthy at this time.”
Further adding that they still encourage their customers to utilize their drive-thru and curbside pickup, continuing to monitor the local effects that COVID 19 is having on Lamar County.
Although opening local dining rooms are seemingly sporadic in the county, Roadhouse Family Diner restaurant manager Carmen Mayes said her establishment is seeing an abundance of support from the community even with the strict guidelines the state has put out for reopenings.
“We are seeing a lot of locals coming in and supporting us since we opened the dining option,” Mayes said.
Roadhouse also took advantage of their outside porch area, moving some tables outside, allowing customers to safely social distance while still enjoying a bite to eat.
And though most of your favorite restaurants are slowly beginning to open their dining areas back up, there are also a few that are still waiting until capacity restrictions loosen a little more.
One of those was popular hibachi grill ShoGuns. They took to social media as soon as the news broke to explain that due to their own set up in their restaurant, they opted to continue the to-go option as they couldn’t effectively open enough of the business that would be optimal for customers to dine in comfort.
“Our occupancy would only allow for a very small number of patrons at once after we consider the staff needed. We do not feel the reward outweighs the risk, especially as we continue to monitor the current outbreak situation in our area,” they said.
However, to continue to move forward at their own pace with what they feel is the best fit for them, ShoGuns will continue curbside pickup for the foreseeable future, but have decided to end their delivery service.
The general consensus across the county for restaurants to open is truly coming down to owners weighing the risks of what is the safest possible option for staff and customers as well as the ability to continue to run their business.
But no matter what your favorite restaurant has chosen to do, there are still plenty of places to dine in at, or grab a to-go meal and find a place to sit and eat with friends and family.
Just like a small handful of other local restaurants Don Lalos, has now begun to slowly open up as Texas furthers their reopening. Although they are still continuing with curbside pickups to accommodate customers, they have just now reopened their dining options.
Now that phase two has begun, your best way to find out where you can eat is to follow your favorite restaurants on their social media pages as they continue to slowly reopen dining rooms across the county.