Milwaukee Public Market reopening
The Milwaukee Public Market will reopen Wednesday with limited dining inside, more seats outside and extra precautions for the coronavirus pandemic, including improved ventilation.
“A responsible reopening plan was something we felt was vital before we considered opening our doors again, not only for our employees but for our customers and their families,” Paul Schwartz, the public market’s executive director, said in announcing the move Tuesday.
The market closed entirely in midMarch because of the pandemic and resumed curbside pickup and delivery in early May. Many of its vendors plan to continue takeout and delivery, according to the announcement.
The market is taking these measures to fight the spread of the coronavirus:
Customers will be encouraged to wear masks until they begin eating inside the market. The market will provide a mask to customers who don’t have one on request, while its supplies last.
All market employees will wear masks. Their temperatures will be taken and their health screened at the beginning of each shift.
Customers are encouraged to eat outside at the market’s expanded seating.
Seating areas will be sanitized regularly and spaced 6 feet apart.
Indoor dining near certain vendors will be available but reduced, with social distancing and sometimes with physical barriers between chairs and tables.
Second-floor seating will remain closed, but restrooms and market offices will be open.
Eight touch-free
hand-sanitizing stations are being added on the floor.
A number of the vendors will add touch-free payments.
New heating and cooling filters have been installed to filter finer particles. In combination with exhaust fans, the system turns over the air inside the building about every three to five minutes, Schwartz said.
One study has implicated poor ventilation in the spread of COVID-19.
The market’s hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. The full list of vendors and their hours are online, milwaukeepublicmarket.org.
Contact dining critic Carol Deptolla at carol.deptolla@jrn.com or (414) 2242841, or through the Journal Sentinel Food & Home page on Facebook. Follow her on Twitter at @mkediner or Instagram at @mke_diner.
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