Bradenton restaurants preparing for the worst as coronavirus pandemic spreads
Bradenton-area restaurants, large and small, are making major adjustments in response to the dire threat posed by the novel coronavirus and COVID-19.
At the Creekwood Chick-fil-A, 5206 73rd Lane E., the restaurant was preparing to switch to drive-through or curbside pickup service only, starting Tuesday, marketing director Lisa Terry said.
The move follows a Chick-fil-A corporate announcement that it is temporarily closing all of its dining room seating in an effort to manage the evolving impact of coronavirus to help limit person-to-person contact.
“This is so strange and is a situation that no one has had to navigate before,” Terry said.
Leading up to the dining room closing, the Creekwood Chick-fil-A closed its playground, removed all trays and condiments, and started serving everything in bags as carryout, Terry said.
John Horne, owner of four Anna Maria Oyster Bars, issued a statement Friday, saying that his restaurants are strictly adhering to, and enhancing cleaning procedures in each store, frequently disinfecting high-touch areas such as tables, chairs, menus, restrooms and waiting areas, and providing hand-sanitizing stations.
Monday, Horne said he is in contact with leaders of Florida’s restaurant and hospitality industry, to find find out about any planned changes in operating rules.
Horne was also planning for the possibility that dining rooms could be ordered closed by stocking up on to-go supplies. In that event, customers would be able to drive up to restaurant kitchen doors and have their order placed in their car.
“We will also work on delivery in the immediate proximity,” he said. “We will get through this.”
Overall, sales at Anna Maria Oyster Bar were down 11 percent last week, except for the beach-side store, which benefited most from spring break.
“Our goal is to make sure every guest feels as comfortable at AMOB as they do at home with family,” Horne said. “We are working with the restaurant association to do what is right for health and safety.”
Ed Chiles, owner of three restaurants — The Sandbar Restaurant, 100 Spring Ave., Anna Maria; Beach House Waterfront Restaurant, 200 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach; and Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub, 760 Broadway St., North Longboat Key — was rightly concerned Monday about the pandemic.
“We are all in the same boat. We all need to work together,” Chiles said. “It’s beautiful out here but surreal.”
The Chiles Group restaurants have also stepped up cleaning and disinfection efforts, as well as taking the temperatures of staff members to ensure anyone with a fever stays home.
Depending on the store, sales were down 6 to 15 percent at Chiles’ restaurants.
“We are still doing a lot of business because this is the busiest time of the year,” Chiles said. “We are looking at doing takeout.”
At Tableseide Restaurant Group, which operates Libby’s Neighborhood Brasserie at 8445 Lorraine Road in Lakewood Ranch, CEO Joe Guli was making aggressive delivery plans, while trimming operating hours in the dining room.
Libby’s, and Tableseide’s restaurants in Sarasota, are opening an hour later and closing an hour earlier to give staff more time for deep cleaning, Guli said.
In addition, restaurant seating is being cut in half to give diners more space, he said.
Amy Groene, one of the partners in Skyline Chili, 4112 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., said her business has been hard hit by the threat of the coronavirus.
“We are cleaning like crazy, every hour, and following the CDC guidelines. We are still open for dining in,” Groene said, noting that Skyline Chilis in Kentucky and Illinois have temporarily shifted to drive through or curbside pickup only.
In the event of a dining room closure at Lakewood Ranch, Skyline Chili does have a drive through.
Tom Leonard, one of the partners of the Shore restaurant, 800 Broadway St., Longboat Key, said business has been good, even with the threat of the coronavirus.
“We have gone to a disposable menu. We keep the windows open for ventilation, and doors open so that guests have one less surface to touch,” Leonard said.
Stepped up cleaning, and reduced seating in the dining room are some of the other steps taken at Shore
Shore staff don’t have to come to work if they feel uncomfortable about the threat of the pandemic, Leonard said.
“We are taking it very seriously. We are in the service industry and it is a double-edged sword,” he said.
Sean Murphy of Beach Bistro, 6600 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, was among those making plans for the pandemic.
“If we have ever lost sight of how connected we all are, this virus has reminded us in the strangest of ways,” Murphy said in an emailed press release. “We are a community. We’re together in our anxiety about what comes next. But we are also a community in supporting each other.”
For now, Murphy said, his restaurants are continuing to offer service, but with fewer seats, more spacing and fresh air.
“All our food creations at Beach Bistro and Eat Here will be available for parking lot pickup or delivery beginning Tuesday. We will also be offering the best medicine in times of stress – liquor. You can enjoy the great wines from the Bistro list or a selection of Doctor’s Office cocktails with your order,” he said.
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 3:03 PM.
