As downtown businesses adjust to Phase 2, many are coming up with creative solutions
This is one in a series looking at Whatcom County business districts as they reopen in Phase 2 of the new coronavirus Safe Start program.
Many downtown business owners are putting quite a bit of thought into what safely reopening means to them in Phase 2.
After Whatcom County was approved to reopen under the governor’s Phase 2 “Safe Start” on Friday, June 5, businesses had many rules and regulations to adhere to if they wanted to reopen.
But how the rules are implemented is largely left up to the individual companies, and the small-business owners that populate the downtown core have had to come up with their own plans based on things such as the size of their business and the traffic they typically deal with.
A check around downtown on Thursday afternoon, June 11, found that a majority were finding a way to reopen. Of the 180 stores, restaurants and service-based businesses observed during a walk around the district, nearly 72% percent were open, with only a small percentage opting to stay with the curbside/delivery service plan.
For customers, it has meant reading a list of rules posted on the front door before entering. Some businesses are requiring customers to wear masks along with the employees. All have different capacity limits compared to the days before the new coronavirus arrived. Outdoor dining areas and sales racks are popping up on sidewalks, while others are opting to handle orders outside rather than letting people inside.
For the new Italian restaurant Storia Cucina, it’s not a reopening but an opening for the first time.
Owner/Executive Chef Jonathan Sutton said they had a grand opening planned for March 18, but restrictions shutting down nonessential businesses were announced March 16. Sutton said they decided to wait to see what happened next, eventually opting for a curbside pickup service that was still in place last week.
As of last week they were working toward a Thursday, June 18, opening with limited seating. Rules they were considering included requiring face masks for customers except for when they were seated, fewer indoor seating spots and an outdoor seating area.
The fact the restaurant is able to open is a success story for the district. Generally, owners of a small, local business have invested quite a bit in tenant improvements and need to recoup those investments. During Phase 1, they also didn’t have much name recognition since no one had tried a Storia Cucina meal.
Sutton said they received quite a bit of support on social media as people posted about the new business. They even had support from other nearby restaurants that wanted them to succeed. Sutton said the enthusiasm generated from the curbside pickup has allowed them to stick around.
Customers return
Traffic in the downtown core was steady on the afternoon of June 11, but still a fraction of what a typical sunny late spring afternoon would bring. At Mallard Ice Cream, which was serving scoops to-go, business was steady, especially after the drive-by graduation ceremonies concluded at nearby Bellingham High School.
One group of customers at Mallard was the Lewis family. Parents Dave and Lisa treated their son, Cameron, to a celebratory ice cream scoop following his graduation ceremony. It was their first shopping visit to downtown Bellingham since the pandemic began, but they planned to make it a regular event.
“We look forward to downtown staying vital,” Lisa said, noting that they were impressed by the creative solutions downtown businesses were coming up with to reopen.
Perhaps the businesses most in need of creative solutions are the bars and nightclubs. Many of those businesses remain closed as they try to figure out ways to host events like live music in a safe manner again. But some bars are looking into ways to reopen in this phase, including adding a menu to be more like a restaurant.
Linda Melim, who runs Leaf & Ladle and the nearby cocktail bar L&L Libations with her daughter Taylor, has been looking at ways to reopen. Her Leaf & Ladle restaurant on North State Street is doing curbside pickup but its size makes it difficult to do dine-in at this time. L&L remains closed.
Melim’s planning on building a temporary patio that can increase capacity, possibly opening L&L Libations in July.
For Leaf & Ladle, she said they were fortunate to have a strong to-go business before the pandemic hit. While good, the business has had to shift; what was once a popular lunchtime spot for office workers now does more of its go-to business in the evening.
As people start returning to the downtown restaurants and stores, Sutton is hoping people are understanding of the rules that are in place. It’s difficult coming up with these rules in an industry that’s geared toward trying to please everyone.
“Safety comes first now,” Sutton said.
