1A Across America: Restaurants Start To Reopen Dining

WAMU 88.5 | By Amanda Williams

Published May 19, 2020 at 2:27 PM CDT

People eat sitting outside of a restaurant on Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Social distancing during the pandemic caused many restaurant dining rooms to close their doors. However, as states begin to lift stay-at-home orders and allow businesses to reopen, restaurant owners face a tough choice: to open their doors or remain closed.

Many establishments are struggling despite an increase in take-out and delivery orders. But opening too soon could put the public and staff at risk.

Owners are considering many different strategies to minimize the chance of infection. Some are social distancing tables from each other to separate diners and minimize the risk of potential disease transmission. Others are monitoring the rises and drops in confirmed cases in the area.

In this 1A Across America conversation, we explore how owners are thinking about safety and whether they reopen and how. Will enough customers feel comfortable returning for these businesses to survive?

1A Across America is funded through a grant from The Corporation for Public Broadcasting. CPB is a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967 that is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting.