Whatcom business owners anxiously waited for 50% capacity. Here’s what they plan now
When it comes to COVID-19 pandemic rules, many Whatcom County businesses heard the magic phrase they’ve been anxiously waiting for: 50% capacity.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement on Thursday, March 11, noted that starting on Monday, March 22, a new set of restrictions will be in place for Phase 3. That includes increasing the capacity of stores and restaurants to 50%, up from 25% in the previous phase.
“It’s been a target for a long time,” said Guy Occhiogrosso, president and CEO of the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce, referring to the move to 50% capacity. “For some, it’s the only financially feasible way to open.”
For many restaurants, the 25% capacity limits in Phase 2 of Washington’s Healthy Washington plan put them in a bind because they would probably not break even when accounting for the expenses of reopening indoor areas. Some chose to stick with just takeout/delivery, while others chose not to reopen at all.
For restaurants that did reopen at 25% capacity, it also provides a shot of optimism that things are moving in the right direction again after a very challenging winter.
“It’s just so nice seeing customers again,” said Tina Tsoulouhas-Primbas, who operates Cascade Pizza at 2431 Meridian St. with her husband, Pete Primbas. “It just feels like we’re all moving forward.”
Cascade Pizza started offering dine-in service on Monday, March 8. The owners had waited to make sure they did not have the situation where they hired workers back late last summer only to be forced to lay them off a few weeks later as new restrictions came back.
The first week of dine-in has seen a steady number of dine-in customers, but there hasn’t been a drop-off in takeout/delivery as many customers wait a little longer before trying dine-in. Many of the customers they have seen talk about how excited they are to be vaccinated, Tsoulouhas-Primbas said.
The limited indoor experience was also a good one for Tsoulouhas-Primbas; not only for seeing people but for getting back to doing the kind of work she’s been doing since she worked for her father at Cascade Pizza as a teenager.
“I’d forgotten how to pile trays on my arms,” she said with a laugh, adding that it took a bit of time for her arm muscles to get used to carrying plates of food to customers again.
The arrival of Phase 3 is a big deal for places like Park Bowl at 4175 Meridian St. Co-owner Kristin Keyes-Halterman said the new guidelines will allow for four bowlers per lane, which is great for families and league competition. Bowling facilities and gyms have been hit especially hard during this pandemic, dealing with forced shutdowns through most of this past year.
Keyes-Halterman said the rules in place for Phase 3 will allow them a shot of at least breaking even, especially as they stick to a time-bowling rate.
“At 100% we’ll be able to offer the per game option again, if the customer wants to. But, with the time-bowling option customers are able to go online, reserve lanes, order food, and pay for everything — knowing that their lanes and food will be ready when they get there,” Keyes-Halterman said in an email.
The plan of not starting Phase 3 until March 22 is a good one for many restaurants, Occhiogrosso said, because it gives them time to add staff and order extra food. As they do open doors again, Occhiogrosso is asking residents to return with compassion and grace. Restaurants and stores are busy training new staff as well as making sure the new rules are implemented.
“We all still want to have great customer service, but it will take a little time,” Occhiogrosso said.
Return of events, tourism
Moving into Phase 3 also brings a bit of hope that some of the popular events will be back this spring and summer. The Bellingham Bells baseball team, for example, announced on Facebook that it is excited to be welcoming fans back with an opening day on Friday, June 4. It will continue to work with health officials to determine how many people can attend that first game.
It’ll be hard for some events to happen in the spring and early summer because it takes a lot of work to organize, but many in the late summer time-frame now have a good shot of happening, said Sandy Ward, president and CEO of Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism.
As for spring and summer tourism, Ward is expecting more regional visitors to Whatcom County, with people taking road trips from places like Seattle or Portland, Oregon. The Canadian border is expected to remain closed for a while, and many people may not be ready for longer trips to Whatcom County quite yet.
Dana Weber, general manager at Best Western Plus near the Bellingham International Airport, agreed, adding that if vaccinations continue at their current rate, he is expecting a busy summer.
“Especially with Bellingham’s outdoor options on the water, mountains, biking and our great restaurant/brewery scene, it will be a great getaway,” Weber said in an email.
While Phase 3 doesn’t change much for hotels in terms of bookings, it is a big step for lodgings that have event halls and meeting rooms. Weber said they can now start marketing its Fox Hall facility for weddings, birthdays and business meetings.
