Local economy will 'gradually' reopen

The first phase of Missouri’s plan to reopen the state’s economy starts Monday, but if you think that means things will be back to “normal” next week, think again.

Missouri residents have been under a “stay-at-home” order for several weeks, and many nonessential businesses have been closed since March as the state tried to “flatten the curve” of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For most Missourians, the “stay-at-home” order will be lifted Monday and all businesses can reopen as long as they follow social-distancing guidelines and other measures intended to protect their employees and customers.

But the reopening process will be gradual, according to a sampling of business owners and others with their finger on the pulse of this area’s economic activity.

“Come Monday morning, this is not going to be like flipping a switch and everything’s back to normal,” said John Mehner, president and CEO of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce. “This will be more like a dial; we are going to slowly go back out into the business world and do things safely, making sure we take care of our employees and our customers.”

“Businesses in the Jackson area are anxious, optimistic and eager” to reopen, according to Brian Gerau, president of the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce. “There is an eagerness to get customers through their respective doors.”

Businesses that elect to open Monday are being asked to comply with guidelines in the state’s “Show Me Strong Recovery” plan announced earlier this week by Gov. Mike Parson. The first phase of the plan, which extends through the end of May, calls for the “gradual” resumption of economic and social activity.

Restaurant sampling

A spot check of several dozen restaurants, retailers and other area businesses found that while several them will reopen Monday, others are waiting a few more days, or even weeks, and all said they will take steps to reduce any possible spread of the coronavirus.

Among the restaurants contacted by the Southeast Missourian, about half said they planned to allow “limited” customer seating starting Monday.

“We’ll be using every other table and maintaining social distancing throughout,” according to a staff member at Bella Italia in downtown Cape Girardeau. “We’ll also have fewer bar stools.”

Similar measures will be in place at several other eateries opening their dining areas Monday, including Katy O’Ferrell’s Publick House on Broadway in Cape Girardeau, where manager Christopher Dirnberger said, “It’s going to feel weird and a little like we’re doing something illegal for a while.”

Wings Etc. in Cape Girardeau and Jackson will offer in-house dining beginning Monday, but will only seat every other table and will limit groups to parties of six or fewer, according to Ashley Conner, general manager of the restaurant’s Jackson location.

Starting Monday, My Daddy’s Cheesecake in Cape Girardeau will also offer limited inside seating “spaced out to allow for social distance” in addition to drive-through and carryout services, which many other restaurants will continue to provide.

Representatives of other restaurants and fast-food establishments said they are waiting at least a few days before they open their doors.

“We are tentatively planning to open next week, but we don’t know what day yet,” said Keller Ford of Top of the Marq in the Marquette Tower in downtown Cape Girardeau. Ford said he’s taking a “wait and see” approach. “I feel there will be some backlash about opening, but with that said, we will be opening sometime next week.”

Shawna Schweain-Brooks, manager at 36 in downtown Cape Girardeau, said the dine-in area of the restaurant “may open later in the week,” and when it does, only half the tables will be used to maintain social distancing and the restaurant will also use private dining areas on its upper level. “We will be adhering to the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines and we’ll still be doing carryout service,” she said.

At Mary Jane’s Bourbon + Smokehouse, owner Carisa Stark said she’ll be using a “cautious” approach to “gradual reopening” of the dining areas in her restaurants.

“Obviously, safety is of the utmost importance,” she said.

Inside dining will not be immediately available at area Burger King or Popeyes locations, according to John Echimovich, vice president of operations for Midamerica Hotels Corp. Midamerica Hotels manages 36 Burger King locations — including those in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Scott City, Perryville and Sikeston — and three Popeyes restaurants, including one in Cape Girardeau.

“We plan to hold off a little bit for the safety of our teams and our guests,” Echimovich said.

Cheryl Farrow, director of operations at McDonald’s franchise restaurants, said plans are being finalized for the reopening of inside dining areas at area McDonald’s, but was unable to discuss those plans Thursday before they were shared with managers and employees.

Andy Patel, owner of the Applebee’s and IHOP franchises in Cape Girardeau, said there will be “limited” dine-in service at Applebee’s and IHOP starting Monday and Tuesday, respectively. He said all recommended CDC precautions will be practiced at both restaurants and employees will also have their temperatures checked at the beginning of their shifts.

Patel also owns Dogwood Social House on South Plaza Way in Cape Girardeau, which, he said, will remain closed for another week or so.

“We’ve lost a lot of staffing, so we have to start all over again,” he said.

At Pagliai’s Pizza on Broadway in Cape Girardeau, owner Eric Bergmann said he is hopeful of offering in-house dining next week.

“We are going to do our best to accommodate everyone while being as safe as possible,” he said.

At another Cape Girardeau pizza restaurant, Rosati’s in the Town Plaza Shopping Center, franchise owner Jason Niswonger said he’s targeting May 13 for reopening the dining area there.

“We are being extra cautious,” he said. “Upon opening, we will be following the governor’s guidelines and operating at 25% capacity.”

Other businesses

By no means is this story intended to be inclusive of all businesses, but rather a sampling of business opening plans, which include:

• HealthPoint Fitness facilities in Cape Girardeau and Jackson plan to reopen Monday, but all members “will be screened upon entering the facility” and could be asked to leave at the discretion of the staff. According to information supplied by SoutheastHEALTH, the fitness facility has put several other precautions in place to help reduce the spread of coronavirus. Two other large fitness facilities in Cape Girardeau, Fitness Plus at Saint Francis Medical Center and Planet Fitness in the Town Plaza Shopping Center, will remain closed for the time being.
• Marcus Theatres, which owns Cape West 14 Cine on Siemers Drive, told the Missourian it is “not yet opening” its venues in Missouri and would be announcing “plans to reopen in the coming weeks.”
• As of Thursday, it was unclear when West Park Mall, closed since early April, will reopen. The mall is managed by CBL Properties in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where Stacey Keating, CBL’s senior director of public relations and corporate communications, said the company is reviewing Missouri’s business reopening plans “and will discuss (it) internally and with our retail partners to determine our next steps.”
• Century Casino Cape Girardeau, idle since mid-March, won’t open before May 15, a date determined by the Missouri Gaming Commission as the soonest casinos in Missouri can reopen, according to Century Casino general manager Lyle Randolph.

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