Jefferson County’s stay-at-home order and restrictions on restaurants and bars ended on May 4. What’s happened since then has been – well, difficult to define.
“It’s all over the place right now,” said Todd Tracy, executive director of the county Economic Development Corporation.
County Executive Dennis Gannon, whose recent executive order with Health Department Director Kelley Vollmar lifted the restrictions in favor of guidelines issued by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, agreed.
“I get the impression it’s been a mixed bag, but most places I’ve seen I think are doing the right things,” he said. “I haven’t been out much this week, but I went to one restaurant and I was very encouraged by what I saw. There weren’t a lot of people there, but the tables were spaced out, maybe two or three times what they could have been, so there was lots of space. The servers were wearing masks and while they weren’t wearing gloves, were setting drinks down using a disposable napkin. They were using disposable menus.
“I felt safe there, but it was still kind of odd, maybe because it was my first time out in a while. But in the end, people are going to go out to eat and shop where they feel safe and I believe most business owners will take that to heart.”
While some restaurants, bars and businesses classified as “non-essential” reopened as full-service establishments last week, many took a more cautious approach, Tracy said.
“Most businesses I’ve talked with are taking this seriously,” he said. “They don’t want to cause another shutdown, and they’re willing to put into place practices that don’t just meet CDC or state or county guidelines, but will exceed them. They want to be part of the solution.”
Gannon said he has heard the same message.
“Good operators make good decisions,” he said.
Tracy said he’s not surprised many independently operated restaurants have not rushed to reopen their dining rooms, given that the state guidelines call for social distancing between diners.
“Some restaurants and other businesses have moved to a carry-out and delivery model that can sustain them for some time, because they knew they wouldn’t be able to reopen dining at full capacity,” he said. “Some of the smaller restaurants that rely primarily on sit-down dining in small rooms, they’re not sure how they’re going to be able to reopen. Those who found for one reason or another that curbside or delivery could not or would not meet their needs, they’re really struggling right now.
“The restaurants that can’t get a fair amount of people in their dining rooms once they space their tables out or can’t generate enough income to keep their lights on, the prospects aren’t bright in the near future.”
Tracy said it will take some time for independent business operators to sort things out.
“For the larger regional or national chains, they may have internal policies that are typically more stringent than the ones dictated by state or county government,” he said. “They may require their employees to wear masks, for instance. But the moms-and-pops are struggling with how they’re going to deal with whatever the new normal is going to be.”
Some businesses hurting
The gradual reopening of the county’s economy is not a panacea for some businesses, Tracy said.
“From what I understand, I don’t believe there are any plans for many of the bars in the county to reopen soon,” he said. “Social distancing doesn’t really lend itself to a bar or tavern business, but it’s possible that some resourceful owners will figure something out.
“Anything dealing with tourism or banquet halls or meeting venues, they’re likely to face tough times in the weeks ahead. Many of them are reporting that people who had booked events in the summer or fall are canceling them. They’re not really sure of what recovery in the times of social distancing is going to look like.
“On the other hand, I’ve heard of one meeting hall that is taking events canceled in May and June and rebooking them in August and September. No one really knows how that will play out, but it’s a positive sign.”
Nonprofit organizations that rely on membership dues and fundraising events also will face a steep hill to recovery, Tracy said.
“They’re hurting right now, and looking at the future, they’re not looking at a good future for the rest of 2020. Hillsboro canceled its Homecoming Festival. A lot of other cities have canceled their events, or are at least are considering canceling them. The Jefferson County Growth Association is considering canceling some of its events as well. And the loss of those events will definitely affect retail sales.”
Others doing well
Tracy said not every business has suffered during the pandemic.
“Grocery stores and home improvement stores haven’t seen a decrease in traffic. I’ve heard that sales in some of these stores might be up as much as 800 percent, but once we get a look at sales tax numbers, we’ll have a better view of that,” he said.
Sales tax receipts in Jefferson County that reflect sales from mid-March through mid-April, indicate a small increase over the same period last year.
Tom Kolisch, an owner of John’s Butcher Shoppe, 503 N. Mill St., in Festus said his store’s business bears out what Tracy has heard anecdotally.
“It’s been extremely crazy. I would say we’ve never seen business like this before. It’s been very good,” he said. “For a while, we were the only store in town that had pork steaks, regular steaks and ground beef, and word gets around.”
Businesses find ways to cope
Tracy said he expects some business owners will find innovative ways to match supply and demand.
“I’ve been a student of business my entire life, and I’m fascinated by how businesses have been able to not only live with the challenges the world presents, but find a way to meet those challenges,” he said. “I think there will be positive changes that come about because of this. The allergy season aside, I think the social isolation has meant that overall, except for the virus, we as a society have been healthier because we haven’t been spreading other diseases around. But in the end, people aren’t going to go where they don’t feel safe. We’re going to find a lot of thought and a lot of innovation as we progress through this.”
Ways to adapt to social distancing standards may be one of those innovations, Tracy said.
“I heard the other day that McDonald’s, which does a lot of testing in Europe, is looking at new ways to practice social distancing in a line. Instead of having an X taped on a spot on the floor, they’re looking at a 6-foot round circle. The idea is that customers don’t feel as restrained in a large circle as they do having to stand on an X. There’s no doubt that businesses will come up with ways to deal with this, because the sense is that the virus and the precautions to prevent its spread aren’t going away any time soon.
“There will be challenges for certain. If we’re talking about possibly having 20 percent unemployment, that will have a large effect on the economy. Businesses struggling to survive this summer may not be around next summer. But really, so much of this is so early in the process that it’s hard to predict how it’s going to be on the other side – once we get there. I think we’ll know more by the end of the summer.”
Hair stylists in demand
Jeni Woolsey, owner of the Rustic Roots Salon and Spa, 4670 Gravois Road, in House Springs, said she was happy her “non-essential” business could reopen on May 4 after having been closed since March 21.
“We were super busy before we were shut down,” she said. “We had a lot of pre-bookings that we had to cancel during the shutdown, and we started rescheduling them for May 4 and after, so we’ve just got started on those. Right now, we’re booking three to four weeks out in advance.”
Woolsey said the time off has taken its toll on the customers of the salon, which also offers nail and spa treatments.
“Their roots are showing; they’ve got long hair,” she said. “They’re desperate for a haircut. We’re putting in a lot of work on them.”
Woolsey said for the most part, her clientele has been easy to work with.
“Some are wanting to come in right away, while we have others who say they can wait a couple of weeks if they need to because they know we’re very busy,” she said.
Woolsey said the six women who work at the salon as independent contractors were able to make it through the last few weeks because of changes to unemployment insurance that covered them.
“We all were laid off,” she said. “We did OK during this, not great, but OK because of government assistance. We’re thankful for that.”
Woolsey said her salon is complying with state guidelines.
Employees have to wear face masks, she said, while masks are optional for customers.
“It’s at the customer’s discretion. We have a lot of older clients who are wearing masks, but we don’t insist,” Woolsey said. “Our stations are at least 6 feet apart, so we’re complying with those rules.”
For the time being, there will be no waiting area in the salon.
“We explain that our clients will have to wait out in their cars and we’ll come out and get you when the chair is free,” she said. “Because we’re by appointment only, that’s been working out well so far.”
Blue Owl goes curbside
Another business that reopened last week after a long shutdown is the Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery, 6116 Second St., in Kimmswick.
However, owner Mary Hostetter said after considering a complete reopening, including dining room service, she took a more conservative route.
“We were going to open (the dining room), but I had a change of heart after talking with some of my employees and customers. The main reason why we’re not reopening the dining room is because of the safety of my employees, who are like family to me. One of my employees, who has been caring for a grandson with diabetes, said she didn’t want to have to choose between money and her family. I told her she shouldn’t have to. Another employee is caring for an elderly mother and didn’t want to take the risk of bringing home the virus.
“Because we couldn’t be fully staffed, I chose to reopen the Blue Owl after seven weeks for curbside service (on May 5),” Hostetter said. “Since we’ve been closed for so long, the kitchen was empty and I thought this would be a good way to ease into it. We’ve had a lot of people this week tell us that they’re glad we’re back and they’re happy we chose curbside.”
She said the Kimmswick operation has 37 employees, including 10 full-time staff members.
Hostetter said two employees are parking lot greeters.
“They direct drivers who have placed orders for the bakery where to park,” she said. “There are different places for those who are getting restaurant orders and who have called ahead, and another place for those who haven’t called ahead. They bring the orders out to the cars.”
Hostetter said a few outdoor tables – properly spaced – are available for those who wish to enjoy their takeout alfresco, but wait service will not be available.
Hostetter said when the Jefferson County restrictions on restaurant and bar operations were announced in March, she decided against curbside service.
“What I kept coming back to was that the appeal of the Blue Owl has been the quaint atmosphere and the friendly service, and those elements would be lost if we just went curbside. In order to make it work, we would have to bring in enough revenue each day to pay for expenses and labor, and I didn’t think it would be able to happen.”
However, once she received confirmation that the Blue Owl was eligible for a Payroll Protection Plan loan through the Small Business Association, Hostetter said some of her concerns were allayed.
“A lot of my worry about being able to pay our employees was answered,” Hostetter said. “I started calling people back on Monday, April 20, and we started clearing everything out of the restaurant and cleaning it. We scrubbed, we sanitized, we painted. Everyone worked very hard to make sure everything is perfect. They’ve done everything I’ve asked of them. They’ve been terrific.”
She said she was eager to reopen, at least some of the way.
“Seven weeks go by, and no income’s coming in, and I’m trying to pay the bills, trying to let my suppliers know I’m trying to do something,” she said. “I had to do something, so I decided to try curbside. We’ll see how that goes, and hopefully we’ll make enough to pay the bills, help my employees pay their bills, and we can ease into a (full) reopening.”
Hostetter said when the dining room is reopened, seating will be reduced from 48 tables inside and outside to just 23 tables.
“My goal is to reopen the dining room on May 19, which is the same day at the restrictions are supposed to be lifted in St. Louis County. But we’ll just play it by ear. If coronavirus cases start spiking up again, that will play a part in that decision.
“But it’s going to be different,” she said, “and I believe it’s not going to be the same as it once was for a long time.”
Business sweet for business
Hostetter’s other location, the Blue Owl Sweet Shoppe in House Springs, also reopened this week for curbside delivery. It, too, had been closed to the public during the shutdown, although employees kept busy there baking to fill online orders.
“They’ve been doing a lot of baking,” Hostetter said.
Over the last few weeks, she said, that shop has been filling a contact for Zac Young, a Food Network personality and pastry chef whose company temporarily lost its supplier for his trademark Piecaken, a combination cake-pie-cheesecake delicacy.
“They had three weeks to make 800 of them – a lemon cake with icing on the bottom, a strawberry swirl cheesecake in the middle and a strawberry rhubarb pie on the top. They did it, so they were able to stay open with their 12 employees,” Hostetter said. “Kim (her daughter, Kim Hostetter, who manages the store) had to hire some people in to help because they were working in shifts. They also bake desserts wholesale for local restaurants, so they’ve been doing OK.”
Mary Hostetter said she hopes other business operators will take the social distancing standards as seriously as she has.
“We don’t want this to come back again. It’s been hard enough for us to have to close down once,” she said. “I don’t think many of us will be able to do this again.”
Tracy said he believes many merchants feel the same way.
“I think most business owners know that things are not going to be what they were before this started for some time, if they ever will be,” he said. “They realize change is here, and most of the people I’ve talked with are willing to do whatever they can do to not go through another shutdown.”