First Watch restaurants to reopen with new protocols in place against COVID-19
Bradenton-based First Watch plans to reopen its local restaurants Monday, news sure to please its fans, including one Herald reader who wrote recently that “some of us are starting to get hungry, and the cooks at home really need a break.”
First Watch, a daytime café serving breakfast, brunch and lunch daily from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at more than 365 locations nationwide, will be reopening the doors of its Bradenton and Sarasota restaurants for dine-in service, the company announced on Thursday.
All First Watch employees will be required to undergo a pre-shift screening, including a temperature check, to ensure they are in good health and that it is safe for them to serve guests.
All employees are also required to wash their hands prior to starting their shift and then every 30 minutes. In addition, staff will be provided with and required to wear personal protective equipment, including face coverings and gloves.
First Watch will offer single-use menus where available, and will otherwise be disinfecting all menus between every use. In addition, menus can be viewed online and in the First Watch app for iOS and Android, the company said.
First Watch will be disinfecting all high-touch surfaces, including door handles, restroom surfaces such as faucets, the host area, and more, every hour. In addition, First Watch will be providing single-use condiments when possible and regularly disinfecting all reusable containers, bottles and trays between every use.
First Watch restaurants will also be open for take-out, which can be ordered online at FirstWatch.com or by calling the local restaurant, and delivery through partnerships with UberEats and DoorDash,the company said.
All First Watch restaurants temporarily closed April 13, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When we emerge from this event, we will do so stronger, and we cannot wait to bring our entire First Watch family back together to serve you when we open our doors once again. I wish you and your loved ones the utmost health and safety during these times. We’ll see you soon,” Tomasso said when announcing the closing of First Watch restaurants.
Many Bradenton area restaurants noted for their breakfast and lunch menus, reopened on May 4, including the five Popi’s Place restaurants, the two Sage Biscuits, three Keke’s, three Waffle Houses, and two Metro Diners.
A stand-alone player in the daytime restaurant business, Katie’s Cafe, 3130 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton, found the cap on restaurant occupancy a challenge, but opened anyway on May 4.
“I have more chairs in my garage than I have in the restaurant right now,” owner Rick Jesop previously told the Herald.
Also reopening on May 4 was Maple Street Biscuit Company, 8491 Cooper Creek Blvd., University Park.
“Everything is nice and clean and we are starting to pick up again.” Scott Goodier, assistant community leader, said. “We are still doing delivery, too.”
Ina Melo, who owns the Popi’s Place restaurant at 6409 Manatee Ave. W., with her husband, Ari Malaj, said Popi’s reopened May 4, and regulars are returning. The restaurant is following all CDC and state health guidelines, including 25 percent dining room occupancy, social distancing, and wearing of masks.
“After every customer we sanitize the tables, the booths, the chairs, the pens, everything,” she said.
Peaches, which has restaurants in the Bradenton and Sarasota area, posted on its web site May 1 that it did not believe now is the time to reopen.
“We had high hopes that the latest executive order issued by the governor would allow us to all experience this togetherness – this happiness – again starting on May 4, however, due to the dining room restrictions not being lifted to a regular operating capacity and our continued concern for the health of all of our family members, we are unable to open our doors and welcome you all back in,” Peaches said on its company website.
“The limitations of placing 25 percent seating capacity along with proper 6-foot social distancing (chair to chair) and no counter seating at all, this allows for less than 20 people to be in our dining rooms at one time. Our restaurants were designed for us all to be close together, not this far apart. Rest assured, we will be ready for you when the time comes that we can safely open our dining rooms at full capacity. We have been making changes to ensure that when the time is right, we can all gather together again,” Peaches said in the web posting.
