Tri-Citians join thousands of restaurant workers in plea for COVID vaccine priority

One Tri-City restaurant owner is among the thousands who sent a cry for help to Gov. Jay Inslee’s office on Monday.

Kyle Simmons, director of operations for CG Public House & Catering in Kennewick, told the Herald that if people want restaurants to be around after the pandemic is over, then the industry’s workers need to be protected.

“I think it is really important because we are a higher risk being around people who have their masks offs,” Simmons said.

The Seattle Restaurant Alliance and Washington Hospitality Association sent a petition signed by Simmons and more than 3,500 others to the governor’s office asking that food and hospitality industry workers be included in next phase of Washington’s vaccine plan.

“These are people who have showed up even if they weren’t sure if customers would have a fever,” said the group’s spokesperson Niki Reading of Reading Communications. “We want to honor that by offering them the same access to the vaccine.”

On March 17, high-risk critical workers will be eligible under Tier 2 of Phase 1B for the COVID-19 vaccination.

Those included are people who work in agriculture, fishing vessel crews, food processing, grocery stores, corrections, prisons, jails or detention centers, public transit and the remaining first responders.

Eating and drinking establishments are not included.

Simmons said that traditionally people who work in bars and restaurants are well below 65 years old — and currently are far down the vaccine priority list even though they are risking exposure just by showing up to work.

“I understand that people think restaurants are luxuries, but we need to keep them open to survive,” the third-generation restaurateur. “We want to keep them open, and we want restaurants to stay in business.”

His grandparents first started Wyatt’s Pancake Corral in the 1970s. It later was renamed the Country Gentleman and transferred to his parents, Steve and Shirley Simmons — who were once named Tri-Citians of the Year.

Kyle Simmons took over about four years ago and rebranded as CG Public House & Catering.

He has been spending the last year keeping the restaurant going, and now is considering incentives for employees to get the vaccine.

He said that his 40 employees are largely counting down the days until they are eligible, including those who are young, but are at higher risk.

Reading said that those behind the petition aren’t asking for special treatment — but that they are afforded the same access as others such as grocery store employees.

“You can argue all day that restaurants aren’t essential, but food is,” she said. “In some low-income areas fast-food is going to be some people’s only choice.”

This story was originally published March 16, 2021 at 5:00 AM.