AUSTIN, Texas -- Cisco’s has been serving the Texas Capital City since 1950, and after weeks of waiting they are able to provide that family feel they’re proud of. 

“We were able to provide them with a service that days before we weren't able to. So I'd say just kind of that like community type of win that we all felt, which was it's a really good feeling," restaurant partner Matt Cisneros said. 

Cisneros, whose grandfather founded the Tex-Mex restaurant, says revenue from dine-in recently has surpassed what he was able to do with just to-go orders. Cisneros says they didn’t quite reach the full 25 percent capacity allowed under state rules, but business was steady. 

“Revenue’s also great. It's something that you want to tout because it obviously helps your business operate. But just that sense of seeing people excited to come and sit down in a place that they're so familiar with,” Cisneros said.

Two mugs appear at Cisco's in Austin, Texas, in this image from May 2020. (Spectrum News)

But during the COVID-19 pandemic, reopening to the public didn’t come without the pressures of putting protocols in place.

“Six-plus weeks ago, you have your typical checklist. This is obviously just more detailed, more stringent. There's a lot of accountability that lies within putting the onus on yourself to ensure that people are safe and healthy," Cisneros said. 

On the Monday after opening weekend, we noticed there were fewer seats than usual inside Cisco’s. 

“Social distancing is real. And it's obviously allowed us to get to the point of being able to open at 25 percent. So this is by no means over or anywhere near over solely because, you know, our government tells us we can open.”

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, restaurant owners are working within state guidelines to try to ensure it doesn’t take another bite out of business.