Since the coronavirus outbreak first hit Naples, many restaurants have been told by the state to close down in order to reduce the growing number of coronavirus cases. Now the decision has been made to reopen all restaurants, but with many restrictions.
“There have been less people since the outbreak, and we don’t have any seats or tables available. The only thing that we offer is take out,” Tropical Smoothie employee Angelica Perez said. “We now only have one cash register open since they’re so close to each other, and my manager has required all of the employees to wear face masks and gloves.”
One restriction that the state of Florida made when they first reopened restaurants was that they would only allow 25% of the normal population into their restaurants. Now they are allowing up to 50% of the normal population.
“As a way to protect the public’s safety, we made sure that all the employees were frequently washing their hands; if they felt sick, then they were able to stay home,” Napoli By The Bay owner Tony Brito said. “We haven’t been personally affected, but we have seen a dramatic decrease in people paying in cash.”
Additionally, most restaurants are spacing tables six feet apart to follow the social distancing order. All employees are required to wear masks and gloves at all times. When you walk into some restaurants, there aren’t any tables or chairs because the public’s only option is carry-out. Many well-known restaurants are only doing delivery and carryout options.
“We spaced out all of the tables and blocked off all areas where people would be too close to one another to ensure our customers’ safety,” Brito said.
As soon as the cases start to decline, residents will be able to enjoy their favorite meals in a normal setting.
