Cut restaurants some slack when they reopen. They’ve got new rules to follow | Editorial

Restaurant owners have always relied on loyal and contented customers to keep their businesses afloat. In the coming weeks, they will need that customer support more than ever.

Phase 2 of the state’s Safe Start reopening plan is scheduled for June 1, which would allow restaurants to open under strict social distancing guidelines.

The restaurant business has been hit especially hard by the state’s stay-home order, and being allowed to open up seats in the dining room instead of providing only take-out service will be a much needed economic boost for most establishments.

Many people — no doubt — still will not feel safe eating in a restaurant setting. That’s understandable. If that’s the case, they might consider continuing to order food to-go, which would be a great way to support local restaurant owners as they struggle to keep their eateries alive.

To those Tri-Citians who can’t wait to get out and savor their favorite meal at their favorite restaurant, remember the coronavirus has not gone away. Everyone will have to do their part during the transition or COVID-19 cases in the area might explode.

Specifically, that means following the rules and cutting restaurant workers some slack as they figure out how to navigate under new state-imposed requirements for their business.

People should be aware it may not be easy to get a table. Wait times may be long because the state is reducing the guest occupancy rate in restaurants to 50 percent — and that goes for outside seating as well.

The change allows the number of tables in the dining room to be spread farther apart so there is more space between diners, and there will be a limit of only five people per table.

Customers will be expected to adhere to whatever social distancing plan is put in place for the restaurant lobby, and people will be encouraged to wear masks when walking around the restaurant.

Initially, restaurants managers were told they also would have to gather every customer’s contact information and keep it in a log for two weeks. The reasoning is that it would make it easier to contact people in case a guest or employee at the restaurant later tested positive for the coronavirus.

Judging by the comments on the Herald Facebook page, the idea of gathering customer information struck a nerve. Many people were vehemently against the idea.

Although most people don’t seem to have a problem leaving their names and phone numbers when making a reservation, a formal contact list really seemed to irk them.

On Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee indicated he might change course, and said the contact list might be an option — not a requirement.

He also said there is no guarantee restaurants will open June 1, and that it all depends on the number of COVID-19 cases.

We hope restaurants will be able to move to the next phase and open up. The owners can’t make it much longer without more income.

But we also hope people are careful. In other parts of the country where stay-home orders have been lifted, risky behavior by some customers sabotaged businesses.

A Cape Cod ice cream shop recently reopened in Massachusetts, but was forced to close the next day after mobs of people ignored management’s request to call in orders ahead of time.

Owner Mark Lawrence told the Boston Globe the day was chaos, and that people harassed his young workers.

After an outpouring of community support, the shop reportedly started serving ice cream again, and customers now are following the rules.

Like the Cape Cod ice cream shop owner, most of our restaurant owners have been busy figuring out how to keep people safe so they can reopen.

But all that planning won’t do any good if people don’t cooperate with the new requirements. Customers need to realize that.

This story was originally published May 15, 2020 at 1:01 PM.