Business owners and residents in Chatham-Kent feel mixed about Stage 3 reopening

Chatham-Kent entered Stage 3 of reopening on Friday, meaning residents there can now dine inside some restaurants and bars, while outdoor recreational facilities —including playgrounds and splash pads — are open for use.

But the announcement came on short notice, according to Mike and Brenda Buckley, owners of Mike's Place, who aren't ready to open up their indoor seating.

"We didn't get all the requirements until yesterday. They were sent to us yesterday and they're pretty extensive like putting up plexiglass around booths, dividing off tables, telling people they can't seat within a foot of the end of the booth," Mike said.

"I think there's a few restaurants that aren't opening up either. They're gonna stick to the patio business," Brenda said. "And it's done really well for us. So yeah, we're happy with that right now."

She said some of her customers have told her they're not comfortable about dining indoors yet, and with their patio business booming, they aren't in a rush to do so.

"The patio is so busy right now. For us to open up inside, we need a whole nother set of staff. So it's a conundrum," Mike said.

"We've got to get more people hired. We've got to get more people trained. It's hard to get people to come and work because they're getting paid to not work."

"It's just a decision that we made just to stick to the patio business. And it's worked for us for now.

They want to open their indoor seating eventually, but still need to figure out how they will make that happen.  

Chris Tsirimbis, the owner and operator of The River Rock Social House, said he's been preparing for awhile and is excited to see all of his regular customers again.

"You know, all the old faces you haven't seen for almost four months now. A lot of people have reached out to us. They can't wait to be coming here tonight. We look forward to seeing everyone," he said, adding he hopes everyone can understand the new rules and measures that are put in place.

"We've prepared by spacing everything six feet apart, training our staff to do extra cleaning, make sure that we're wearing our masks and forcing social distancing and just keeping a safe positive environment for everyone."

He said he's fortunate to have a larger establishment which allows for spaced out indoor and patio seating.

He also got rid of his dance floor to make room for more tables and chairs, allowing more seating for customers.

"We were slowly preparing for it. Getting all the tables and chairs in place because we knew that something like this would be coming moving towards the new norm there," he said. 

"Now that the time has come. we're ready to go."  

Gail Hundt, the president and CEO at the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce, said the move is great for business which have been struggling with COVID-19.

"Many of them are ready and prepared to open their doors a little wider or for the first time which is exciting for many," she said.

She said residents in Chatham-Kent have been very open-minded and respectful of the rules put in place.

"We've always sent the message from day one — be respectful, be careful, stay in a safe distance. And from what I've been seeing over the last couple of weeks, there's more and more awareness and appreciation for those rules."

"And although the mask is not a mandatory requirement here in Chatham-Kent, I have noticed an increase in that just for the respect of the community and others."

She said while some businesses were not able to survive due to COVID-19, some did a "turn around."

"They created new ways of delivery or a new product. It did allow some innovation as well," she said. "As a community I really do believe that we've been very supportive of being in this together and where we can help each other."

She said the tourism industry and service sector has been hit the hardest.

"The service sector where you needed the person-to-person service or the tourism industry where you needed those tours, you need the people inside your premises ... those were the ones that, at this point and this far into summer, some are focused businesses. They are going to have a long haul for a while."   

Playgrounds open again

Crystal Kearns and Kathy Tillotson visited a playground with their kids and said it feels nice to be outside again after being locked away for months.

"The kids have been cooped up for so long and it's so nice that they can just get out and play on the playground," Tillotson said.

Kearns said she doesn't know if she feels safe yet and they're staying within their bubbles.

Dustin Kearns said it feels like "forever" since he last played in a playground, adding that he missed going outside and being with his friends.

Windsor-Essex and Sarnia-Lambton remain in Stage 2 of reopening.