SAN ANTONIO – In an effort to begin reopening the state, Gov. Greg Abbott has announced reduced restrictions for certain businesses. Starting Friday, retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters and malls will be allowed to open as long as they maintain only 25% occupancy and follow social distancing guidelines. However, not all business owners are looking to reopen their doors so quickly.
The owners of Capparelli’s on Main said they would not be opening the dining area on Friday.
“We would not be able to keep up with the takeout, and dine-in with a full menu is impossible,” said Gay Capparelli, owner of Capparelli’s on Main.
Capparelli said it doesn’t make sense financially to open the restaurant this week.
“I could lose money, absolutely, because I have to bring more staff back in here, and right now, I have not been funded by the (Paycheck Protection Program), which I applied for,” Capparelli said.
Capparelli said the business is offering curbside service for now.
Other restaurants in the area are also not going to open their facilities, including Aldaco’s Mexican Cuisine.
The restaurant owners of Aldaco’s in Stone Oak said they used to have 62 employees, and the pandemic forced them to cut down to 25 people.
“There’s going to be some training that we need to put in place so that we can be ready, so that we can efficiently protect ourselves and our clients, as well,” said Blanca Aldaco, owner of Aldaco’s.
Alamo Drafthouse will not be opening this weekend either. The company sent KSAT the following statement:
“Opening safely is a very complex project that involves countless new procedures and equipment, all of which require extensive training. This is something we cannot and will not do casually or quickly. We will not be opening this weekend. But know this, when we do open, we will be providing the safest possible experience for both our staff and our guests and we can’t wait to see you all again!”
COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March. The first case confirmed in the U.S. was in mid-January and the first case confirmed in San Antonio was in mid-February.
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