Despite Chattanooga restaurants being technically able to serve dine-in customers at half capacity starting today (Monday), local restaurants are being cautious when reopening to the public.
“We’re not open this week at all for dine-in,” said Market St. Chicken Salad Chick’s general manager Mary Bryant. “We’re having a conference call with all of the other GM’s to see when we’re going to open it up to just 25 percent capacity.
We’re taking every precaution we can to keep our employees and customers safe.”
Another one of these is Zarzours Restaurant on the Southside. Shannon Fuller said she and husband, Dixie Fuller, will continue doing curbside and takeout. Options include chicken sandwich, burgers, fries, tater tots, homemade strawberry ice cream and banana pudding.
St. John’s Meeting Place recently opened for curbside takeout on Friday. The restaurant is open seven days a week from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Jefferson’s on Georgia Ave. is still doing just take out and curbside today. However, a target date of April 29 was mentioned as the day when dine-in would be allowed again.
City Café in downtown is still doing only pickup and curbside delivery at the moment. An employee said the store is planning on beginning dine-in services on Tuesday, with the limit being 25 percent capacity.
A Cracker Barrel employee in Chattanooga said the local stores remain pickup and delivery service only. There is a May 4 date to possibly resume dine-in.
Champy’s on MLK Blvd. will open on Monday. According to their Facebook page, the restaurant will open at 50 percent of their normal restaurant capacity.
“Please rest assured that Champy’s will adopt all of the recommended protocols set forth in Governor Lee’s directive,” said the restaurant in a Facebook post, “including providing seating with proper social distancing, providing employees with protective masks, frequent and regular sanitizing of all dining surfaces, and the like.”
Cadence Coffee on 7th St. is preparing to open, but according to their Facebook page the coffee shop does not have a set date to open yet.
“We’re doing all we can to ensure you return to a clean and healthy Cadence space,” said the shop on their page.
Chattanooga’s restaurants were originally going to be closed this week as the rest of the county’s restaurants began to open. However, Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke was overruled by the governor, and the city’s restaurants will be able to open with the blessing of the county health department.
“Chattanooga will obey the law, and I will do everything possible to ensure its success,” said Mayor Berke during his Friday Facebook livestream. “I want every restaurant to make payroll and I want to protect as many Chattanoogans as possible from contracting the coronavirus. I will be glad to cooperate with the Governor, Mayor Coppinger, and the Hamilton County Health Department for the good of everyone, as we share the common goal of keeping people safe and healthy.”