Coronavirus: SLO County restaurants open despite COVID order

Multiple restaurant owners through San Luis Obispo County are operating indoors and outdoors in defiance of California’s COVID-19 stay-at-home order.

Business owners say they’re choosing to remain open to keep their workers employed and help their businesses survive despite a lack of adequate financial support from the government.

“I can’t even tell you the stress we’re under,” said Jeanie Hoover, owner of A-Town Diner in Atascadero. “There have been so many changes, with closures, then opening again, then allowing us to serve outside. This last time (with the stay-at-home order), I just said ‘I’m not going to do it. We’re in survival mode as a business.’”

Hoover, along with other restaurateurs, say they believe they can operate safely indoors.

“It’s extremely stressful,” said Stacy Betschart, owner of The Nest Breakfast & Lunch Cafe in Atascadero. “We were asked to switch up our business plans in a day, and I have a staff of 15 employees. We just can’t survive doing takeout. I made the decision to keep everyone (employed) and the customers who are comfortable (eating indoors) are welcome to do so. Those who aren’t don’t have to. It’s a personal choice.”

San Luis Obispo County officials are urging businesses and community members to comply with COVID-19 regulations, citing a dramatic rise in coronavirus cases and deaths over the past few weeks. But local leaders are also upset over the way the state handled regional stay-at-home orders.

San Luis Obispo County is a part of the Southern California stay-at-home region, which includes Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Any region under 15% availability for intensive care units falls under the new order. As of Tuesday, the Southern California region was at 0% ICU availability.

San Luis Obispo County leaders petitioned the state on Dec. 7 to form a smaller Central Coast region with Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

Under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order, which went into effect Dec. 6, businesses like restaurants, beauty salons and gyms are required to close indoor operations. Retail stores can remain open indoors at 20% capacity.

“If you’re a small business facing the question of going out of business or complying, it’s a very difficult position to be in,” county Administrative Officer Wade Horton said Dec. 3. “However, we are a subdivision of the state. I don’t get to make these decisions. As a subdivision of the state, our area of the county is subjected to those rules. … Our goal will be to educate and to try to obtain compliance.”

San Luis Obispo County leaders say that people can use parklets and outdoor seating at restaurants when picking up to-go orders, but table service and alcohol are not allowed in the outdoor arrangements. However, restaurants are expected to sanitize between takeout guests.

Atascadero restaurant owners oppose stay-at-home order

Betschart opened The Nest about four months before the coronavirus pandemic hit San Luis Obispo County in March.

She said that she knows of about “50 businesses” countywide that are operating in violation of the order.

“I don’t want to name them without their permission, but all I can say is there’s a lot,” Betschart said. “We’re doing everything we can to wear masks, wash hands, distance, and all that.”

Betschart, like other business owners, said her federal Paycheck Protection Program loan helped her stay open in the early months of the pandemic, but that money is drying up.

Hoover said that she, too, knows of many local businesses that operating in opposition to the stay-at-home order.

“It’s not that we’re being defiant or disobedient,” Hoover said. “It’s just that it’s not fair. The governor is not in our shoes to understand that you can’t operate when more than 70% of your business is gone.”

Hoover said that A-Town Diner normally draws $4,000 to $5,000 per day in sales. When her restaurant was required to offer takeout only in the early days of the pandemic, daily sales dropped to $900 or so.

“We normally have 32 to 35 employees, and we’re down to 21,” Hoover said. “I was working 14 hours days and not collecting a dime in income. I was using money from late husband’s life insurance. My ex-husband came to help wash dishes for free. … I am 58 and I don’t want to do this forever. I enjoy the people tremendously, but I need to have a retirement plan.”

Hoover said many customers have told her they’re glad she’s open for indoor service, and she has a big dining room to accommodate diners.

“There will be someone who comes in and says something (about violating the order), but if they have issues, they don’t have to come,” Hoover said.

Hoover added she has employees with children and expenses that are dependent on their jobs, including some who work multiple jobs to survive. “Some of them aren’t eligible for unemployment,” she noted.

According to Hoover, January 2021 could be a make or break month for many businesses.

Paso Robles City Council confuses business owners with unclear vote

Several of the local restaurants that are openly serving customers are in the North County, where the Paso Robles City Council took an unclear stance on the stay-at-home order.

On Dec. 10, the council voted unanimously go against the order, saying that the city would instead follow regulations under the purple tier of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy that allow for outdoor dining.

The next day, however, the council members back-tracked on their vote after hearing confusion from business owners.

City leaders said their vote was more symbolic and meant that San Luis Obispo County “should be in the purple tier,” not that the city would defy the governor. In a news release, the city said business owners and the general public could “be putting your business or yourself at risk” by violating the state order.

Some community members say dining out at restaurants is worth the risk, while others oppose businesses opting to defy state orders.

Jennifer and Richard Schmeltz, a rural Monterey County couple, come into Paso Robles often. They’ve ordered food to go and eaten outdoors at Downtown City Park for the past six months.

“We haven’t gone to a restaurant ourselves,” Jennifer said. “Won’t go.”

In contrast, Mari Olveda of Paso Robles said she is glad restaurants were staying open.

“I think it’s good we’re keeping our economy going,” Olveda said. “All of downtown is made up of small business. They’re all mom and pop shops and, you know, they have their livelihood to protect, too.”

“It’s great that Paso has taken a stance,” she added.

SLO County business owners: COVID-19 rules hit hard

Taste restaurant is seating diners at its locations in Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo.

“Since we are allowed to serve to-go (food) in our patio areas, we’ve found that’s the safest way to deliver food out there, versus (customers) taking it home and gathering as a group,” Taste owner Gretchen LeMiere said. “We can control the situation. At least we can do our best to abide by safety protocols. We have tables in patios and parking lot areas, and we’re fortunate to have that much space.”

LeMiere said she is very conscious of the health impacts associated with the virus and doesn’t believe anyone is in harm’s way by eating outdoors. She said customers can grab their food and eat at the tables, and the staff is continually cleaning and sanitizing.

“Usually when we explain the why of what we’re doing, people understand,” LeMiere said.

LeMiere said that restaurant owners in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles are struggling to understand why outdoor self-service dining — and shopping at stores such Home Depot, Lowe’s and Costco — is allowed in the county, while restaurants must shut down indoor and outdoor dining.

Between the two Taste businesses, staffing has dropped from 110 employees to 50, LeMiere said.

“That doesn’t make sense to me,” LeMiere said. “The planning for this has failed. This virus is very real and it’s out there. I’ve even known many who’ve had it and I don’t wish anyone to be ill. … I also have a chef with three kids who will have nowhere to go if he’s laid off. In normal times, he could get another job. But not now because people aren’t hiring.”

LeMiere said that she believes eateries can operate safely because they’re used to serving people with food allergies and maintaining sanitary conditions.

“I’ve probably spent $50,000 on equipment like a parklet cover, outdoor chairs, umbrellas and heat lamps and things like that,” LeMiere said. “The way I’m looking at this year or even a year and a half is that I probably won’t make money, but my staff will get to keep their jobs.”

Buona Tavola owner Antonio Varia has locations in Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo. He said that some kinds of food, which as the Italian cuisine his restaurants serve, don’t work as well for takeout.

Varia said he doesn’t let customers dine inside Buona Tavola, but he and his workers eat meals there.

“I think my type of restaurant is better suited for indoors,” Varia said. “I hope we can open again at the start of the new year. I don’t know what happened to Gov. Newsom. I think he’s too stressed out or something.”

Nicola Allegretta, owner of Mistura and Mama’s Meatball restaurants in San Luis Obispo’s The Creamery Marketplace, agreed that fine dining establishments are not set up for takeout. He said Mistura, which serves Peruvian food, has taken a hit with the new coronavirus regulations.

“Mama’s Meatball was born as a takeout place so it was already set up at that level,” Allegretta said. “But Mistura is fine dining … Our sales are down 80 to 90%.”

When the the first COVID-19 lockdown happened, Allegretta had to merge his two businesses to keep his workers employed. This second lockdown has been harder given the lack of stimulus checks for his employees and a PPP loan for his business, he said.

“The way they’re penalizing us small businesses and especially restaurants, it’s really wrong,” Allegretta said of the stay-at-home order.

Still, Allegretta said Mama’s Meatball and Mistura are operating under San Luis Obispo County’s orders — only serving takeout and sanitizing outdoor seating areas if people choose to eat there.

“Because we do have a courtyard in the Creamery, its a much better, safe setup than many other parklets, so I think we are very lucky,” Allegretta said.

Emily Kesner, general manager of Libertine Brewing Co. in San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay, said she is also happy for to have people eat their takeout orders at outdoor parklets and seating areas. Libertine is not currently offering indoor dining or outdoor table service, she said.

“People have been receptive and just want somewhere nice to sit and a safe place to be outside,” Kesner said.

Over the course of the pandemic, Kesner said, Libertine employees have faced several furloughs and she understands that other businesses are doing anything to survive.

“We’re doing our best to stay open under the circumstances,” Kesner said. “We support other businesses and whatever they have to do to keep their doors open at this time because it’s weird times and a strange world in crisis mode right now.”