Bradenton restaurants take tough new COVID-19 rules in stride. They know more may be coming

Marty Duffany, brand manager for Whiskey Joe’s, never imagined that when he opened a new waterfront restaurant in Ellenton on Monday that it would be in the midst of a full-blown global pandemic.

But a day after opening Whiskey Joe’s, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued new guidelines for restaurant operations, including a 50 percent cap on dining room occupancy, spacing tables at least six feet apart and health screenings for workers.

DeSantis’ orders on Tuesday raised the specter that restaurants could soon face even more draconian measures, including being shut down.

“Our company is based in California. They are already in a full shutdown,” Duffany said.

Closer to home, the company’s restaurants in Miami are closed for two weeks.

The threat posed by the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 presents an agonizing dilemma for restaurateurs struggling to keep guests and staff healthy while keeping their doors open.

“What about the mom-and-pop restaurants that have a mortgage due and unemployment compensation to pay?” Dufany said. “We work for a great company but even so, we have to take drastic measures. I don’t know how it is going to shake out. It’s tough for everyone. I just can’t believe it.”

Ed Chiles, owner of The Sandbar Restaurant, Anna Maria; Beach House Waterfront Restaurant, Bradenton Beach; and Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub, North Longboat Key, was not surprised by DeSantis’ new guidelines Tuesday, not that that made life any easier.

“To be sure, we have been putting those requirements into operation. It looks like this thing is progressing,” Chiles said. “We are monitoring it on an everyday basis and trying to do the right thing for our customers and employees.”

To get through the pandemic, government leaders and the American people will need to pull together, he said.

John Horne, owner of four Anna Maria Oyster Bar restaurants, has been in close contract with restaurant association leaders and preparing for the possible eventual closing of dining rooms with drive-up curb service.

Rather than move tables out of his restaurant to achieve the 50 percent capacity rule, he placed green centerpieces on the tables where guests may be seated and red centerpieces on the other half that must remain vacant.

“I am in contact with 20 restaurants on the What’s Up app, comparing best practices. That’s the beauty of having an association. We are wiping down tables with sanitizers after each customer. It’s all about keeping people safe,” Horne said.

While business might not be exactly as usual on Tuesday, which was Saint Patrick’s Day, Horne had corned-beef-and cabbage ready to go for customers in the mood for Irish fare.

Sean Murphy, owner of Beach Bistro, said his restaurant began moving tables apart by six feet on Sunday.

Thanks to guidance from family members in Seattle, the initial epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, Murphy said he was able to begin organizing his thoughts early on how to respond to the threat.

“We have thrown open doors and windows and we haven’t had to lay anyone off, yet,” he said. “It’s important that we have places where people can meet and greet in small groups.”

Even so, Murphy is aware that more stringent rules may be coming and he is pivoting to provide curbside pickup for customers.

This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 1:58 PM.