Questions persist as Sarasota enters reopening phase

If you visited downtown Sarasota on Monday, you could spot a scene that felt like a normal spring afternoon, at least for a moment or two.

Customers filled the sidewalk seating areas outside Pastry Art Bakery Cafe and Patrick’s 1481, taking advantage of the first day restaurants in Florida were allowed to offer dine-in service.

Upon closer inspection, there were plenty of reminders of the continued public health threat COVID-19 poses. At those sidewalk cafes, there were fewer tables than usual to maintain social distancing guidelines. Servers wore masks. Some businesses remained closed. Outside many of those that had reopened, signs bore exuberant messages welcoming the public back.

Reopening, which began in earnest this week, is to be gradual. Restaurants and stores are allowed to operate at 25% of indoor capacity during the first phase. Although county beaches are now open, other facilities are still closed.

Throughout the community, the process of reopening has generated mixed emotions. There’s enthusiasm about the prospect of tapering a severe economic downturn, confidence the public will continue to treat COVID-19 seriously and optimism about the idea Sarasota might be on the road to something closer to normalcy.

There are also concerns. How will lifting some restrictions affect the spread of the disease? Will consumers feel comfortable? How will we know when we’re ready for a new phase? How do we adequately prepare for the future under so much uncertainty?

For now, officials and businesses say reopening is not a sign of victory. It is, however, a shift to a new approach to managing the disease. Individual actors will be trusted with more autonomy, though some rules will remain.

Like so much else surrounding COVID-19, it’s unknown what that new approach will look like in practice.

“This is not going to change in the next month,” City Commissioner Hagen Brody said of the COVID-19 threat. “This is not going to change in the next two months. It’s just going to be up to each individual business and the community to see what the new normal looks like.”

A small step

Restaurateurs say phase one of reopening doesn’t solve the challenges their businesses are facing; it just changes the circumstances.

Chris Voelker, owner of State Street Eating House, is eager to open after closing in March. Voelker said the choice not to shift to delivery or takeout was a reflection of the restaurant’s business model, which focuses on higher-end dishes.

But as dine-in operations at State Street resume May 14, she said the restaurant will offer to-go orders, as well. That decision was driven by the restaurant’s limited options for generating income even as reopening begins. In addition to questions about whether customers are ready to spend, Voelker said operating at 25% capacity offers little reassurance in an industry often operated on thin margins.

“Honestly, if I can keep afloat and keep everyone employed, I’m happy,” Voelker said.

Voelker remains concerned about her workers, who have struggled with unemployment benefits while the restaurant has been closed. She noted a reduced dine-in footprint means fewer shifts and fewer tips.

The city said it is willing to consider creative plans to help restaurants and retailers while maintaining safety standards. Although indoor capacity is capped at 25% of standard levels, outdoor dining is allowed as long as tables are at least 6 feet apart. At Monday’s City Commission meeting, City Manager Tom Barwin said officials are exploring the idea of closing off some parking or street areas to give more space to businesses and pedestrians.

Some commissioners expressed support for the concept, though others were more apprehensive. Barwin said any changes the city made would likely be small.

Voelker is hopeful conditions related to COVID-19 will improve and allow for more customers in the coming weeks. For now, her restaurant will focus on rotating shifts to keep as many employees as possible collecting an income.

Gordon Gregory, owner and chef at G’s Southern Kitchen, also expressed optimism the new dining regulations would allow him to bring workers back. While the state closure order was in effect, the restaurant cut staffing in half, from four on duty to two.

Gregory said the restaurant, located at Bobby Jones Golf Club, took a significant hit when the golf course closed, for walk-up customers constitute about 60% of the business. That challenge isn’t going away: The city announced Monday it intends to keep Bobby Jones closed until construction begins on a renovation project next year.

Gregory shared Voelker’s concerns about the odds of success at limited capacity and the lack of definite timing for reopening.

“Who knows how long that’s going to last?” he said. “Hopefully, it’ll just continue to open up, and it won’t go backwards.”

Continued caution

Some nonessential businesses are taking a more guarded approach. Evelyn & Arthur, a clothing store on Main Street, was not yet allowing customers inside Monday; a sign in the window invited people to shop online or over the phone.

Aliki Gable, the store’s manager, said the business would soon let a maximum of two customers inside at a time. The store will require customers to wear masks. The doors to access the business will be locked, and customers are encouraged to make shopping appointments.

As businesses reopen, Gable urged those who are shopping and dining out to be cautious and mindful of workers as COVID-19 continues to pose a threat.

“When you patronize a business, whether it’s retail or restaurants, some of the staff are scared to death,” Gable said. “They have to go to work, but they don’t feel safe. They’re also scared that if we have another outbreak, it’s another shutdown.”

Other businesses and organizations still have little clarity. That’s particularly true for Sarasota’s performing arts venues. Officials have said mass gatherings in confined spaces are likely to be one of the last activities to resume.

The level of uncertainty was highlighted at Monday’s City Commission meeting. Mary Bensel, executive director of Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, spoke of planned graduation ceremonies in June and performances in the late summer and fall.

After Bensel mentioned a Broadway production scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend, Brody questioned whether shows would actually be held before the end of the year. Barwin said no decision had been made even for the upcoming graduations, and Bensel asserted social distancing could be maintained within the Van Wezel while allowing a capacity of up to 585 people.

“I have no crystal ball … to tell you what will happen with the pandemic out there,” Bensel said.

As Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe prepares for its 2020-21 season, it’s facing a similar challenge. Executive Director Julie Leach said the theater hoped it could hold in-person summer camps in July, but the organization is readying plans for virtual sessions, just in case.

In all likelihood, Leach said, the theater won’t be able to rely on business as usual. As the theater takes some subscriptions for the upcoming season, it’s seating patrons with distancing requirements in mind, but she doesn’t know if that is realistic this year.

“Budget-wise, we’re planning for many scenarios — and none of them will be sellout,” Leach said.

Across the community, even as some activity resumes, the absence of certainty continues to shape coronavirus conversations.

“We’re just kind of playing it by ear,” Leach said. “It’s a big unknown for everybody.”