Some restaurants don’t plan to reopen during ‘Phase 2,’ citing costs

SEATTLE — Gov. Inslee has issued new guidelines for the restaurant industry on what rules they’ll need to follow to serve dine-in customers during Phase 2 of the Washington state’s reopening, which could come as early as June 1.

Two big ones include operating at 50% capacity and having tables six feet apart.

But new rules bring different challenges. Seattle restaurateur Ethan Stowell says he still doesn’t plan to reopen for sit-down customers because the new guidelines will likely be too costly to implement.

“It’s going to be tough,” Stowell said. “First inclination is probably stick with to-go. Opening up at 50% is hard enough. And then you get into the details of the restrictions -- it’s quite a task,” he said.

He currently has seven of his 15 restaurants open for takeout. At How to Cook a Wolf in Queen Anne on Tuesday, the chef was assembling a plate to share their new takeout special.

How to Cook a Wolf can seat 40 people, including patio seating. But right now the dining area is packed with boxes of single-use packaging such as takeout boxes and utensils, mason jars for to-go cocktails, and bottles of wine.

“We’re in a different world,” Stowell said. “This is what all the restaurants look like right now that are open -- they look like storage rooms,” he said.

The new restaurant reopening guidelines require restaurants to keep capacity to 50%, distance employees six feet from each other, and distance tables six feet apart. Plus, there’s no bar seating allowed.

“You’re going to have maybe 10 people in here,” Stowell said. “It’s not a sustainable mode. It’s better to stay put and wait it out I think."

He said reopening would mean moving all the takeout supplies somewhere else and rehiring more staff. And there’s still the question of whether operating at 50% -- or likely less than that -- would be profitable.

“Do you really want to open it up, with potentially having to hire people back – then two weeks later lay them off because you’re digging yourself into a much bigger hole?” Stowell said. He said company-wide, he had to lay off 90% of staff.

In recent days, they’ve started hiring a few more staff members back, but they’re trying to be cautious.

“You can focus on the to-go business and if you operate it correctly, you can cover your bills,” he said.

Other restaurants, like Jack’s BBQ, are eager to re-open.

Owner Jack Timmons says they’ve also been able to survive through takeout.

“We’ve done just enough to stay in the black and not bleed to death, but it’s been very, very emotional and traumatic over the last two months,” Timmons said.

But he hopes to be able to rehire and hold on to his staff by reopening in Phase 2.

“We are ready. We've been ready,” said Timmons, who owns five Jack’s BBQ locations in the area.

“This is a big enough restaurant we can spread the tables out,” Timmons said. They already have X’s marked on the ground for customers.

He says they’ve received a Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Loan (SBA PPP), but they need to make enough money to keep everyone employed.

“Theoretically, by June 1 we can hire everyone back but if we can’t open and make money - then we won’t be able to hire those people back and keep them. Then we’d have to let them go again and defeat the whole purpose of the SBA loan,” Timmons said.

Timmons said he knows operating at 50% capacity means they’ll still need to rely on takeout to survive.

Whether to open or not under Phase 2, restaurant owners say they know the hard times aren’t over and say they’re grateful to have the community’s support.

“I’ve seen a lot of the community gather around each other,” Stowell said. “Our customers have been generous and kind,” he said.

Other rules for restaurants reopening in Phase 2 include: having hand sanitizer available at entrances, no salad bars or buffets, single-use condiments or wiping off bottles between each customer, and single-use menus, among other mandates.

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