Restaurant owners comment on challenges due to public health orders

Restaurant owners in Thermopolis have been faced with challenges as consequences from public health orders on the state and county level due to COVID-19.

At one point earlier in the year, restaurants were only able to serve to go orders. Currently, they still face limited seating restrictions to maintain social distancing and most recently the face covering requirement in Hot Springs County.

The order requires face coverings be worn by all members of the public, except for minors, when they are outside their home or other place of residence, with some exceptions.

In regards to restaurants, the order states individuals shall wear a face covering while entering, exiting, or otherwise moving about the establishment. Persons seated at a booth or table may remove the face covering to eat and drink.

Some area restaurant owners have serious concerns regarding the effect the public health orders are having on their businesses.

Jen Arends of Black Bear Cafe said, “With the holiday season, of course, we’re down compared to last year because of COVID and it has gone down even further since the mask mandate. I know some of the other restaurant owners have said the same thing. We are down probably 30% every day since the mask mandate.”

Arends said, “The new orders are saying we can’t seat any table over eight people and that you have to have a mask to come into the restaurant. Of course, you don’t have to have it on when you’re eating. Other than when you’re eating or drinking, you have to have your mask on.”

She added “We’re doing fine as long as we are following restaurant guidelines as far as percentages of where you need to be in regard to labor and food costs and things like that. As long as we can keep a close eye on that we are fine for right now, I won’t have to lay anybody off. But if things continue, we may have to.”

One of the goals Arends has for her business is to open up for dinners on Fridays and Saturdays.

“Depending upon if there are any new revisions in regard to the COVID restrictions, that is the plan. Hopefully, this will help us financially to stay afloat. The kids are going back to school on Dec. 2, and the mask mandate remains in effect through Dec. 4.”

To keep things positive and encouraging, Arends hopes to do a holiday party just for the restaurant employees. She said, “We usually have something here like a potluck. We hope to still do that because we are a close-knit family. We just hope we get enough business through December just so my employees can have a nice Christmas.”

Regarding customers and their response to the mask mandates Arends said, “Most customers appreciate we are wearing the masks and they’re complying. There are tourists that don’t want to comply. We did have one group leave. Not that I forced them to wear a mask. I told them about the sign on the door and I gave them the information. I don’t turn away anyone. We did have a family leave because they just didn’t want to deal with the masks.” 

Shailee Harvey of Kirby Creek Mercantile also has similar experiences and challenges regarding the mandate. Harvey said since the mandate went into effect, “Things have slowed down, but I think it’s slowed down everywhere.” Harvey reported that her sales revenue has dropped close to half. She said, “Some days are just dead.” 

Harvey spoke about some of the controversy and backlash she’s faced due to her sign on the door stating there is a mandate, but she will not enforce it because she does not have the authority to do so. The sign is similar to the ones found posted at other local businesses.

Harvey said, “I think we still have all of our regulars. People are still coming in. We have the sign on our door saying we are not going to enforce anything. I think a lot of people have mistaken what we meant by that. I think a lot of people have considered it us saying we are not going to be following it, but if people actually come in our staff is wearing their masks. We are and have been following everything in the mandate. It’s just we are not going to kick people out if they are not going to wear a mask. I think people have misread and mistaken it as us saying that we don’t care. We have our employees wearing masks anywhere where the mandate says we have to. We’re just not going to drag you out by your ear.” 

Harvey added, “We have gotten support and backlash. Like I said, I think people are taking it the wrong way. They are not reading it how we meant it,” referring to the sign on the door. 

For the month of December and for the Christmas holidays Harvey said, “The mercantile area will probably pick up. It’s full of cute, little handmade things from local artisans and they are perfect for Christmas gifts. I think we will get the normal bakery orders for Christmas dinners.”

Harvey said about customers and their perspective of the mask mandate, “They don’t really say anything in regard to it. We have the same amount of people coming in with masks as people without masks.”

Danielle Yarrington of Elle’s Restaurant and Bar said, “We’re doing alright, I guess. Thermopolis slows down in the winter every year and I don’t think COVID is helping that.”

Yarrington said that business has dropped on the weekdays but added, “I don’t know, there are plenty of other reasons besides the mandate. I am not too worried about it. This is my first year, so I am not really anticipating anything.”

Regarding the mandate, Yarrington said, “I have some people that back the mandate and there’s some people that don’t and we’re not going to judge them either way. Honestly, we posted the same sign that Kirby Creek did saying masks are required however we are not going to be policing it. For anyone with health issues, we are not going to ask questions about it or ask them to submit any documentation. We’ve been respecting people’s privacy and everything around that.”

Messages were left for other area restaurant owners asking for comments but calls were not returned.