Here’s what happened when Fort Worth businesses reopened after coronavirus closures
If you’re planning to eat at Joe T. Garcia’s this weekend, don’t look for the legendarily long line for patio seating to tell you if the Mexican food restaurant is open.
It is open, for patio seating only right now, but the line won’t be there.
Joe Lancarte, one of the family owners of the restaurant, said he’s allowing 15% of capacity — about 150 people — to eat on the patio at any given time. Once that number is reached, people will be asked to wait in their cars until a table opens. No customers are being served inside at least for this weekend.
“It’s going good,” he said Friday, shortly after 11 a.m., when Joe T’s opened as allowed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s latest executive orders. “So many people are ready to get out.”
Abbott’s most recent order creating a phased-in approach to reopening Texas after stay-at-home orders in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic were lifted. Retail shops, restaurants and movie theaters were allowed to open Friday at 25% capacity.
But not all businesses opened their doors.
While streets were much busier Friday, parking lots at shopping areas ranging from Hulen Mall to the University Park Village center were mostly empty. Cars — several with masks dangling from rear-view mirrors — frequently drove through the parking lots, as drivers tried to determine which stores were open.
Some businesses and restaurants said they just aren’t ready to reopen.
“Today is a new beginning for the restaurant industry,” a Facebook post by Righteous Foods, a health-conscious restaurant owned by Lanny Lancarte, whose family owns Joe T’s, stated Friday. “While I personally don’t agree with opening dining rooms — I FULLY support the decisions of my friends and family that are choosing to do so.”
Many movie theaters remained closed, but the Coyote Drive In theater in Fort Worth planned to reopen with limited capacity at 7 p.m. Friday night. The pavilion and grass seating would be closed. People were asked to stay in their cars and park in every other parking spot.
Conquering fear
Depending on the spread of the coronavirus, the second phase could begin as early as May 18.
Gyms, massage parlors, hair salons, barber shops, tattoo studios and bars are among the businesses that must remain closed. Abbott has said he hopes to reopen some of those businesses by mid-May.
As for businesses allowed to reopen Friday, they are required to screen employees and keep at least six feet of separation.
Carol Blake, the manager at J. McLaughlin, a women’s clothing store inside the University Park Village, is booking appointments for customers to come shop and welcoming walk-ins. She does plan to only allow about three people in the store at a time.
The doors at her store are propped open and she has a stack of masks, gloves and water bottles to hand to any customer who wants them.
She said she’s more than ready to welcome customers into the store.
“I love my job and the store,” Blake said with a smile. “I’m not nervous. I know our customers and our shopping center.”
She embraced retail to go last week, and delivered purchases curbside — and even directly to the homes of customers, when requested.
But she was glad to finally be able to open the doors to the store and welcome people back.
She did say business was slow Friday morning, which wasn’t a surprise.
“It won’t return to normal overnight,” Blake said. “People are ready to shop. They just have to get over their fear.”
Staying safe
Hobby Lobby on Hulen Street had a crowded parking lot shortly after it opened Friday morning.
Laura Olivares, of Fort Worth, said she needed more material to make masks.
She wore a gold mask while in the store and parking lot and said shoppers kept a distance between themselves and others.
“As long as people stay safe, it’s OK,” she said.
Sharon Crockett, who also shopped at Hobby Lobby, wore a mask and gloves while inside the store.
She’s been working on projects at home and needed more supplies to finish the work.
She said she felt safe shopping inside the store, but she’s going to wait awhile before heading to a restaurant to eat.
“I’ll give it a week or two,” Crockett said.
New precautions
Tim Love said all of his restaurants, which include the Woodshed and Lonesome Dove, follow precautions listed in his 15-page COVID 19 “playbook.”
The goal, he said, is simple: “Safety first!”
At his restaurants, there are temperature checks for staff and customers. There are disposable bags for guest masks and all the staff is in masks.
“It’s opening day,” Love wrote on Twitter on Friday. “Please come out and support us and every other restaurant out there who is opening today. We need each and every one of y’all!
“Today is a historical day for TEXANS!”
At Joe T’s, Joe Lancarte said extra precautions are being taken, from the paper menus to the hand sanitizing stations set up throughout the patio area.
As customers show up, their temperature is taken and anyone with a fever will be asked to come back later when their temperature is lower.
Servers wear masks and gloves, but the traditional cloth tablecloths and napkins are still being used.
When at full capacity, the restaurant seats about 1,000 people, inside and outside.
Even though they are allowed to seat at 25% capacity, Joe Lancarte said he felt better about keeping it at 15%.
“To do it right, we wanted to seat less,” he said.
Tables are spread out, anywhere from six to 10 feet apart, he said.
Chairs are wiped down each time customers leave and no condiments are placed on tables unless they are requested by customers. And there’s no physical contact — no hugs, handshakes, fist bumps, high fives — at all.
And the restaurant is still preparing meals to go for anyone who places an order.
“I feel very confident,” Joe Lancarte said, adding that additional staff has been brought in and workers have been trained in the new safety procedures.
Chad Carlat was among those who showed up at Joe T’s Friday for lunch.
He said he wasn’t nervous and picked Joe T’s because he loves the restaurant.
“It’s time to get out and finally enjoy some sunshine and food,” he said.
