SUNSET VALLEY, Texas — Hundreds of Texas businesses have been back open since Friday. Retailers, restaurants, movie theaters, malls and museums are now allowed to let a limited number of customers inside.

 

What You Need To Know


  • As of May 1, Texas restaurants permitted to operate at 25% of capacity

  • Phase 2 will expand that to 50% capacity

  • Restaurants such as Doc's Backyard Grill enforcing numerous social distancing measures

  • Customers eager to support businesses in struggling economy

 

Gov. Greg Abbott announced the move last week, after businesses were forced to keep customers out due to stay-home orders and physical distancing measures put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Restaurants across Texas are now allowed to open their dining areas at 25 percent of their listed capacity. One Texas restaurant was eager to welcome back patrons with proper safety precautions in place. 

Patios are a summer staple, and while the newly opened patio at Doc’s Backyard Grill was social, the typical dining experience was a relatively distant memory. The owner said he chose to keep inside seating closed on Friday. 

“The customers are feeling us out; we’re feeling out the customers. How we're doing it, it's definitely different,” owner Charles Milligan said.  

A server waits on customers at Doc's Backyard Grill in Sunset Valley, Texas, in this image from May 1, 2020. (Reena Diamante/Spectrum News)

Under the governor’s executive order, only six people will be permitted to sit at a table and parties must maintain six feet of distance from one other at all times, including while waiting to be seated. Patrons who dine in at restaurants should also expect hand sanitizing stations available at the entrances, disposable menus, condiments only upon request and in single-use portions, and buffets where the restaurant employees are serving the food.

Additionally, servers at Doc’s Backyard are encouraging patrons to look at the menu on their cellphones. They are also putting food in disposable containers and using disposable utensils. Servers are also placing food and drinks on trays next to tables, and having the customers bring it closer to themselves, in hopes of keeping everyone at a distance. 

Regular Courtney Trevino has been visiting Doc’s since she was a student at St. Edward’s University. She visited the Sunset Valley restaurant Friday with her dog and a group of friends. 

“This location specifically has a great patio and we're outside. Having the trust and the years of knowing them and whatnot is a big factor,” she said. 

Almost two dozen customers showed up to lunch Friday, some wanting to get out and enjoy the warmer temperatures, and others wanting to eat something that was not home cooked. Some patrons cited the economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic for their visit.  

“People are struggling now. You know, luckily, I'm not, but I want to get out and support local business and help the economy every way I can,” customer Quinn Stowe said. 

“Not everyone is at high risk. There are people who need to run their business or they’re going to go out out of business. If there are people who want to get out and support those businesses and feel safe and healthy enough to do - I think that’s, that should be their right,” another customer, James Delony, said.   

Per the state’s Minimum Stand Health Protocols for COVID-19, restaurant staffers that reopen dine-in services must train all employees on appropriate cleaning and disinfection, hand hygiene, and respiratory etiquette. They additionally must screen employees before coming in, not allowing those with new or worsening COVID-19 symptoms to return to work.

Health protocols for facilities: 

  • Consider having an employee manage and control access to the restaurant, including opening doors to prevent patrons from touching door handles
  • Regularly and frequently clean and disinfect any regularly touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, tables, and chairs
  • Regularly and frequently clean restrooms, and document the cleanings
  • Disinfect any items that come into contact with customers
  • Make hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, soap and water, or similar disinfectant readily available to employees and customers
  • Place readily visible signage at the restaurant to remind everyone of best hygiene practices
  • Clean and disinfect the area used for dining  after each group of customers depart, including the disinfecting of tables, chairs, stalls, and countertops
  • Clean and sanitize restaurants daily

Milligan said staff is following safety protocols in hopes of quickly getting to the second phase of the state’s plan, which is operating at 50 percent capacity. Abbott said another wave of reopenings could go into effect as early as May 18, as long as the state sees two weeks of data with no “flare-ups of COVID-19.” 

“Once we hit 50 percent I think it's going to be wonderful, and I think if we can hit 50 percent and everybody's cautious and they're doing it properly, and you don't see a spike, I think they'll open to 100 percent pretty quick,” Milligan said.  ​

The outdoor seating area at Doc's Backyard Grill in Sunset Valley, Texas, appears in this image from May 1, 2020. (Reena Diamante/Spectrum News)