Indoor seating: York, Chester, Lancaster restaurants open, adjust. What will you see?
Two weeks after Salmeri’s Italian Kitchen in Fort Mill opened its doors for the first time, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster ordered all bars and restaurants to close dine-in services to combat the spread of coronavirus.
On Monday, the restaurant was allowed to open its dining room again after McMaster lifted restrictions Friday on indoor dining, the latest step in the gradual reopening of the state’s economy. Early signs indicate that many restaurants have benefited from opening its indoor seating.
But it’s also forced some restaurants to adapt.
For a new restaurant like Salmeri’s Italian Kitchen, the transition hasn’t been easy.
“We haven’t had anybody here yet to be honest,” co-owner and chef Amy Fortes told The Herald Monday. “But we’re trying.”
Fortes also owns the The Flipside Restaurant in Rock Hill and The Flipside Cafe in Fort Mill with her husband, Jon Fortes. The restaurant in Rock Hill also opened its dining room Monday, and the Fort Mill cafe will open its indoor dining services for brunch over the weekend.
Restaurants still have to follow social-distancing rules. Tables should be spaced at least 6-8 feet apart and restaurants cannot have more patrons than 50% of its legal capacity as determined by fire marshals, the governor said.
“We were already starting a whole new business plan and trying to figure things out,” Fortes said. “We got absolutely womped on for the first two weeks, which was awesome. We had a great response, but then we had to change our business model completely overnight.”
Fortes said all three restaurants are following safety measures to mitigate potential spread of the virus. The restaurants are using disposable menus and have removed condiments from tables, Fortes said.
“The biggest thing that we can ask for is patience and understanding,” Fortes said. “It’s ever-changing, and I know it will make us stronger as a business, but it’s been a really tough couple of months.”
Indoor seating benefits, challenges
Towne Tavern, a local sports-themed restaurant and bar chain, also has had to adapt to the fluid circumstances caused by the coronavirus.
The restaurant, with locations in Fort Mill, Rock Hill and Indian Land, made its outdoor seating available to customers last week, in compliance with state orders. Around the same time, restaurant owner Danny Holmes told The Herald he removed a substantial amount of furniture from the restaurants’ indoor dining rooms, in preparation for when dining room spaces could be opened under strict social distancing requirements.
Holmes said he’s proud of how his employees have adapted to the restaurant’s frequent changes amid the threat of coronavirus.
“We’re having a lot of new things we’re throwing at our staff members, and I’ve gotta tell you, I’m really pleased with how flexible they’ve been, how attentive they’ve been to everything,” Holmes said. “After kind of not doing much for about a month and a half, and then springing into action, and then having a lot of new (regulations), it can be difficult. But these young folks are doing great.”
Holmes said the required regulations are manageable, and he’s happy the state is reopening the economy gradually.
“Everything that they’re asking of us is manageable, and it makes sense,” Holmes said. “And it really doesn’t change who we are as a restaurant: The food, the service, the energetic staff — all of those boxes are still checked off.”
Gene’s Restaurant in Chester, which opened its dining room Monday, is also experiencing an adjustment period.
Jenny Childers, a friend helping the business, said before noon, about 15 people had eaten in the American-style restaurant’s dining room, which opened at 5 a.m.
“It was something we had to do,” she said. “You just got to put your trust in the Lord and wear the mask and sanitize and be careful.”
Childers said the restaurant has been taking extra steps to ensure the dining room is sanitized.
“We’re taking every precaution,” Childers said. “We’re keeping everything wiped down — the doorknobs, the counters when people leave.”
Other restaurants open in York, Chester and Lancaster counties
Ebenezer Grill in Rock Hill on Ebenezer Road, home of the 10-foot weenie sign advertising its world famous hot dogs, will re-open Tuesday, said owner Loyd Ardrey.
The restaurant will serve a basic lunch of hot dogs, burgers, barbecue and other mainstays from 11:30 a.m to 2:30 p.m., Ardrey said. The restaurant will have in-house dining under state rules, and offer to go and outside dining.
All nine employees have been retained, and the restaurant is ready to feed its loyal customers, Ardey said.
“We missed the people, our customers,” Ardrey said. “A business like ours is about the people we serve. We are thrilled to get back to it. Our customers are more than that — they are our friends and our neighbors.”
The restaurant will return to a full lunch menu and serving breakfast at a later date, Ardey said. Ebenezer Grill became internationally famous after pranksters stole its sign of a hot dog atop the restaurant roof in 2005.
Waffle House is also open.
All 107 Waffle House restaurants in South Carolina have re-opened for dine-in customers, said Njeri Boss, a Waffle House spokesperson for the Georgia-based chain. The restaurants had offered only to-go service during closure of dining rooms, Boss aid.
The stores re-opened for customers to eat in the restaurants in compliance with the governor’s rules on social distancing and the number of people allowed per square feet of business space, Boss said.
Waffle House has restaurants in York, Chester and Lancaster counties in Rock Hill, York, Lake Wylie, Fort Mill, Lancaster, Chester, and Richburg.
This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Indoor seating: York, Chester, Lancaster restaurants open, adjust. What will you see?."
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