EATING OUT: It’s no longer the same, but diners and workers are thrilled to be back
It was patio weather that drew Christy Martin and Larry Greene to lunch Friday at Shell Shack on Washington Avenue. There was plenty of sun, fried catfish, boiled shrimp, cold beer. And a chance to do something they’ve missed for nearly two months: dine at a restaurant.
If you squinted, it looked like daily life in the city was back to normal. In some ways it was, and it wasn’t.
Friday was the first day that Texas restaurants were allowed to offer dine-in service under a 25 percent occupancy restriction. In Houston that meant beloved institutions — barbecue and burger joints, upscale steakhouses, craw
fish and po’boy shops, Tex-Mex restaurants and posh establishments — were back.
For those among the 12,500 restaurants in Greater Houston that chose to reopen, it was a day of optimism. Gov. Greg Abbott’s stay-at-home order expired at midnight Thursday, allowing restaurant business — along with retail stores, malls and theaters — to resume. But reopening came with new mandates that resulted in a very different dining scene as spaced out tables, hand sanitizer stations, disposable serviceware and menus, and servers with masks and gloves reminded diners that the nation is still in the grips of the coronavirus pandemic.
Martin and Greene chose to enjoy a “date lunch” together without their 3-year-old son, she said, because they felt good about going to a restaurant.
“We’re trying to take educated guesses to stay safe as possible without being crazy about it,” Martin said.
Greene felt compelled to support the local restaurant industry. “Look at the unemployment rate. We have to turn this back around. We need to jump-start our economy,” the Heights resident said. “We’re doing our civic part to help out another industry.” Some simply wanted to eat. “It’s been six weeks of no restaurants, and I am a foodie. It feels lovely to be here. I am happy,” said Dr. Julia Jones, who had lunch at Eugene’s Gulf Coast Cuisine in Montrose with her friend Marilyn Cayce.
“I am so excited that it makes me want to cry,” said Cayce. “Before, I came here every Monday night with a group. I wanted to come today to show my support.”
Houston residents Jamie and Harry Scarborough had lunch at Eugene’s with their two children Harrison, 4, and Adelaide, 7.
This was the last place the Scarboroughs dined before the lockdown. “It seemed appropriate. It’s kind of like picking up where we left off,” Jamie Scarborough said.
“It feels great to be back out on the world,” she said.
Derik Duran, a server at Doris Metropolitan steakhouse, felt similarly. “I have not been to work since March 17. It has been a struggle,” he said. “I am excited to be back and productive.”
Erica Chang and her friends Jessica Laird and Christi James are regulars for Friday happy hour at Doris. They were the first to arrive when the restaurant reopened for dinner.
“I know people have mixed feelings about going out but not us,” said Chang. “We had cabin fever and were ready to get out.”
The return to restaurant dining played out against a grim reality that the state and national restaurant industries might never be the same. As nonessential businesses were forced to close last month, Texas restaurants were hit hard. Nearly 700,000 restaurant jobs were lost in Texas (8 million nationwide) with a projected $4.2 billion in lost sales through the end of April.
About half the restaurants in Texas chose to reopen on Friday, according to a rough survey by the Texas Restaurant Association.
“It’s a big day for Texas and our restaurant community,” said Emily Williams Knight, president and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association.
She stressed that reopening was an option. Those that chose not to reopen might have lacked the staff, time and other resources; some may not have had the ability to meet the mandated health protocols and social distancing orders; some may have been concerned about safety of both staff and customers.
And some chose to wait to see how reopening works, opting to open later or wait until May 18 when Abbott’s Phase 2 scenario could result in 50-percent occupancy.
Underbelly Hospitality chefowner Chris Shepherd chose not to open any of his dining rooms, and said he would wait until midMay to assess the safety and logistical concerns at Georgia James, UB Preserv, the Hay Merchant and One Fifth.
“When it’s 50 percent we’re ready to talk,” he said.
Shepherd was hardly alone. HTown Restaurant Group (Hugo’s, Backstreet Café, Caracol and Xochi) chose not to reopen Friday. Neither did Berg Hospitality Group (The Annie Café & Bar, B&B Butchers & Restaurant, B.B. Lemon, B.B. Italia and Turner’s). Other
popular restaurants such as Riel, BCN, MAD, Brennan’s of Houston, Bravery Chef Hall, La Lucha, Superica, Kenny & Ziggy’s, Rainbow Lodge, Truth BBQ, Goode Company BBQ, Nancy’s Hustle and Squable are sticking to takeout for now.
“For this to work, everyone has to have a willingness to change and to do things differently. It’s not just the restaurant, it’s the guests,” Shepherd said. “The way you used to dine is not going to be the way you’re going to dine. It’s going to be an interesting six months to a year.”
According to the Texas Restaurant Association, it will take at least nine months for restaurant sales to return to what they were at the beginning of the year.
Friday “is one of a thousand steps before we can go back to business as normal,” said Melissa M. Stewart, executive director of the Greater Houston Restaurant Association.
While some restaurants operated Friday by reservation only, there were those that opened their doors to walk-in seating indoors and on patios.
Sky and Mike Tessari walked into Local Foods in the Heights to grab a patio table, returning to one of their favorite haunts for an egg salad sandwich. The Heights residents were already planning their next dining-out meal. “We’ve been talking about getting to El Tiempo as our next move,” Mike said. “We’ve been craving Tex-Mex, chips and salsa. That and a cold margarita.”
The margaritas were flowing Friday afternoon at the Original Ninfa’s on Navigation.
Chris and Kathy Schultz of Pearland were among the first dinner guests, ordering beef fajitas and margaritas. They’ve been coming to the house that Mama Ninfa Laurenzo built since 1978. “They have the best fajitas in the city,” Chris said.
The Schultzes were waited on by longtime server Kady Lopez, who has worked at Ninfa’s for 44 years. For her, Friday was something of a homecoming, she said.
“I never took in my entire life this long of a vacation,” she said, adding she was thrilled to be back at work. “My heart, my brain — they changed completely. I said thank you, God. I’m so happy to be back.”