As Illinois emerges from COVID-19 shutdown, crowds return to local restaurants, bars
It was a mix of beautiful weather and an unbridled desire to get out of the house and socialize that brought celebratory crowds out for the weekend to get a drink and dinner at their favorite hangouts.
Bars and restaurants were able to open for outdoor dining and drinking on Friday for the first time since mid-March.
Bars were closed as part of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order issued to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and restaurants were restricted to only take-out and drive-thru orders.
But that all officially ended on Friday when Pritzker allowed most of the state to move to Phase 3 of his reopening plan implemented to stem the COVID-19 pandemic linked to over 5,200 deaths statewide.
The plan allowed nonessential businesses to open — with capacity limits and other restrictions — for the first time since they were ordered closed over two months ago due to COVID-19.
In the past week, several metro-east cities passed resolutions, issued special permits and took other steps to allow restaurants and bars to create outdoor dining or expand it onto sidewalks and parking lots. Belleville and O’Fallon closed portions of downtown streets.
Employees are required to wear face coverings, and that rule was being followed at most restaurants and bars that reopened in the metro-east Friday. During the lunch rush, some customers wore masks as they approached, taking them off as they walked to tables.
In the evening, most servers still were wearing masks, but it was rare to see customers with them. Social distancing also seemed to go-by-the-wayside in some locations. By about 7 p.m. Friday, sections of closed Belleville streets and Edwardsville sidewalks hosted patrons clustered in close proximity, most not wearing face coverings.
In his daily coronavirus briefing Friday, Pritzker credited the adherence to social distancing measures for making Illinois the first U.S. state to meet all of the White House-recommended benchmarks for reopening.
He also cautioned that abandoning social distancing and face protection, and a rebound of COVID-19 cases state-wide, could force the state back into a more restrictive Phase 2 of the five-phase Restore Illinois plan.
“The journey to this point has seemed very long, and unfortunately, the journey is far from over,” Pritzker said. “Let’s be clear on this: the virus is still out there, and it is still very dangerous.”
Tavern on Main sees busy crowd
On Thursday, Belleville City Council voted to temporarily close portions of North Church, South Jackson and South High streets so downtown restaurants and bars could create or expand outdoor dining.
Tavern on Main filled most of its nearly 30 tables by noon Friday and in the evening the place was packed.
Owner Mark Onstott said he was glad the city had made accommodations to help businesses reopen.
“We’re happy that we finally got it going,” he said.
In total, Onstott estimated “hundreds of thousands” of dollars in revenue were lost during the COVID-19 shutdown, which started with Pritzker’s order to close restaurants and bars to indoor dining on March 17 and continued with his widespread stay-at-home order on March 21. Onstott said he was grateful to be able to be open again.
Belleville resident and Tavern on Main regular Roger Tegtmeyer sat down for lunch at the bar and grill at 301 E. Main St. on Friday. He said he was relieved to see Tavern on Main make it through the shutdown.
“I’m glad to see Belleville come back,” Tegtmeyer said. “I hope we didn’t lose too many places this time.”
Another regular, Jamie Behrmann, who works as an O’Fallon property manager, said she and her husband took the day off work to come to Tavern on Main specifically.
“I feel bad for all the small business owners,” she said. “Tavern on Main is our favorite place to go, and we took off work and here we are.”
Downtown Belleville back in business
Bennie Parr Jr., owner of Bennie’s Pizza Pub at 124 E. Main St., said the night before reopening was “sleepless,” as the restaurant was finalizing plans for outdoor seating. He said it was the first time the pizzeria had hired a hostess, as typically people order their own food from the kitchen.
“That’s new and different for us,” Parr said.
Down the street at Copper Fire, located at 200 E. Main, Noel Magtanong and David Brandt ate lunch in the restaurant’s outdoor dining area. They sat only a few feet from a bar Magtanong made himself out of reclaimed wood and copper.
“It’s nice to be out after months of isolation,” he said. “It’s a breath of fresh air. You can only be in your garage and backyard for so long.”
Magtanong, a native of Hawaii, runs a furniture-building company, Island Reclaimed Wood, in St. Louis. He said business dropped off significantly during the shutdown. Brandt said his own business, Sips N Splatters, which once operated in Belleville, had to close permanently due to COVID-19.
Brandt still runs a video marketing business, called Video VanGo, that is used by many downtown Belleville businesses.
“We really really missed getting out and socializing,” Brandt said of he and his wife. “I’m excited that they’re opening up.”
Andria Powell, owner of Circa Boutique + Gifts at 128. E. Main in Belleville, said things felt like they were “getting back to normal” as customers filtered in and out of her shop Friday.
“We’ve been really busy,” she said.
Mike Shannon greets customers
St. Louis Cardinals radio broadcaster and former player Mike Shannon was on hand Friday to make sure the reopening was smooth at one of his two restaurants, Mike Shannon’s Grill in Edwardsville.
The 80-year-old was sitting at a table under a red umbrella on the patio, which is surrounded by an iron fence and woods. Most of the 13 tables were occupied at lunchtime.
Shannon sipped a drink with a mask under his chin, smiling and waving at customers who recognized the local celebrity.
“Things are slowly but surely getting back to normal,” he said. “I think the governor will be having us eating inside before we know it. But until then, we’ll do whatever he says. He’s the boss.”
The restaurant has been offering carry-outs and curbside pickups since Pritzker temporarily stopped indoor dining on March 17.
“That’s a losing proposition,” Shannon said. “We’ve lost money every day. But we’ve kept our people working. That’s the main thing. We’re open now, and we’re asking our customers to come back if they feel comfortable.”
Families finally get out of the house
Customers at Mike Shannon’s Grill on Friday included Ryan and Kelly Hoelting, of Maryville, and their two children, Rainn, 11, and Elliott, 8. They’ve worked at home and barely left the house since mid-March.
Ryan, 45, a logistics coordinator and lead singer for the band Johnny Rock-itt and the Double Wide Symphony, was gearing up for a duo performance Friday night.
“Tonight is the first official gig I’ve had since this has all come down,” he said. “All the others have been canceled until further notice. It’s at Washy’s Saloon in Waterloo. They have an outdoor patio with seating similar to this, 6 feet apart.”
Lunch at Big Daddy’s in downtown Edwardsville also was a family affair for Bill and Emily Kobler and their two daughters, Addie, 14, and Callie, 11. They sat at an umbrella table on the patio, which has been expanded into the parking lot under a temporary city permit.
Bill, 47, a liquor supplier, and Emily, 45, an eighth-grade teacher, wanted to do something special to celebrate Callie’s birthday on Friday while also supporting local, independent businesses.
“It’s time to get out and get things going,” Emily said. “We’re washing hands and staying within our family and following the state guidelines.”
Patios expand on sidewalks, parking lots
Several Edwardsville restaurants have expanded their patios onto sidewalks and parking lots, thanks to special permits being issued by the city.
Cleveland Heath spread out its umbrella tables to cover two parking spaces formerly reserved for curbside pickup. Co-owner Kari McGinness was in a celebratory mood Friday morning, preparing for the lunch crowd as music played on a loudspeaker.
“We’re excited,” she said. “We’ve gone through all the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines and training, and we’re ready to go.”
The restaurant is sticking to a limited menu with daily specials for now, but it will gradually build back up. Reservations are recommended, but not required.
Big Daddy’s Edwardsville, Foundry Public House and Peel Wood Fired Pizza also have expanded patios. Foundry added two six-person high-tops in back to accommodate the maximum of six people per party allowed under state guidelines.
Big Daddy’s used concrete barricades to create an outdoor waiting area in the parking lot. It has switched to all single-use plates, cups, silverware and condiment packets.
“We have a tent up, and we have expanded seating,” said owner Steve Seibert. “We’re following all the state guidelines. We temp our employees when they come in. They’re required to wear masks. We have an abbreviated menu to help with service times.”
Big Daddy’s had a modest lunch crowd at noon Friday, but business picked up as the day went on, and the patio was full of people drinking and mingling by 7 p.m.
Peel opening both metro-east locations
Peel Wood Fired Pizza in Edwardsville now has one of the largest outdoor dining areas in the metro-east, seating 80 people in addition to a stand-up space for cocktails. The patio has been expanded to include the sidewalk and parking lot.
Some tables are positioned under a large white tent. Strings of party lights and planters round out the decor.
“I hope we get busy,” Thirion said Friday afternoon, clearly proud of the way the project turned out. “I want to see it in action. It’s beautiful out here (at night).”
Employees at the Peel location in downtown O’Fallon were still setting up its outdoor dining on Friday afternoon. They weren’t open for lunch but planned to welcome a dinner crowd.
City officials agreed to temporarily close portions of Cherry and Second streets in downtown O’Fallon to vehicular traffic so restaurants and bars would have more room for seating.
Peel will use disposable paper menus but regular plates, glasses and silverware.
“Our commercial dishwashing system is by far the most sanitary way to do it,” said co-owner Patrick Thirion. “Disposable dishes … I just don’t see the need for that. We are using disposable menus because people are keeping them at the table.”
Downtown Collinsville shows signs of life
Collinsville’s Main Street was relatively quiet Friday evening, but there were signs that its restaurant and bar business was coming back to life.
Sloan’s Pub House had its garage-style door open, and customers filled tables inside and out. But those on the inside only went so far back, per state restrictions. Most of the dining room was empty.
“We already had a special open-air permit, so that worked out well,” said co-owner Lisa Sloan. “But with the way the guidelines were laid out, we would have been OK anyway.”
A couple blocks down, a passer-by on Main Street might have thought Who Dat’s Southern Food was closed, but a steady stream of customers was heading to the fenced-in, partially-covered patio out back.
Co-owner Micki Salvage fielded dozens of calls earlier in the week, most from people wondering if the restaurant and bar was reopening.
“We have live music the next two days, so that will be fun,” she said. “It will be a different crowd. There are people who love live music, and they haven’t seen it for a long, long time. People’s spirits are up. They’re in such a good mood. They’re so happy to be here.”
Reservations booked at Old Herald
Old Herald Brewery & Distillery was completely booked with reservations on Friday evening, which was good news for owners Derik and Whitney Reiser, who had been manufacturing hand sanitizer to stay busy and help alleviate a local shortage.
For the reopening, they bought compostable, biodegradable cups and plates, switched to disposable paper menus and implemented options for “contactless” payment systems.
“We were pretty conservative on the spacing of tables,” Derik Reiser said. “We wanted to do it right and be responsible. And we’re sanitizing all the tables and chairs between customers, so we basically designated one person to just clean.”
Reiser is hoping customers will be patient as he and his employees “navigate” the completely new set of circumstances that all restaurants and bars face.
The staff got high marks from a table of six friends, who were impressed by Old Herald’s cleaning regimens and adherence to other state guidelines. The friends were having a particularly good time Friday night, judging by their laughter and smiles.
“It’s a beautiful day, and we wanted to support our favorite restaurant,” said Jeanne Pysz, 54, a second-grade teacher who lives in Maryville. “We’ve missed seeing them and everyone else. (The coronavirus is) not as contagious when you’re outside, according to everything we’ve read, and we wanted to enjoy the patio.”
Fazzi’s Restaurant and Bar on Illinois 159 has expanded its patio into a parking lot, seating about 60 people. The city of Collinsville also is allowing meals to be served on an enclosed porch because it has so many windows that it qualifies as open-air dining.
The restaurant and bar is owned by a family that escaped war-torn Kosova and took refuge in the United States in 1999. They serve Greek, Italian and American food.
“We’re happy to see our customers back,” said manager Vlora Dullovi. “It fees like it’s normal again.”
