A restaurant owner in Houston has had enough. On Friday night he opened his doors for sit-down business inside the restaurant. When numerous county enforcement agencies were asked about policing, they were referred to some other entity.
Related: Op-Ed – Have we really counted the costs?
The Houston [Chronicle] contacted several police agencies including the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Harris County Fire Marshal, Precinct 5 Constable’s Office, and the Houston Police Department. Each said that a different agency was responsible for enforcement of the to-go or curbside only orders.
The Federal American Grill opened Friday night but not without taking some precautions.
Before reopening, [Matt] Brice put together a list of safety measures. “One death is too many. We are managing the situation here,” he said.
His measures included temperature checks for all employees before their shifts. They were also required to wear a face mask and gloves, which they changed regularly.
An attendant stood in the entry to the restroom area, allowing only one person to enter at a time.
Several tables were left empty between parties for social distancing, and patrons were given the option to pay their bill hands-free via PayPal and Venmo.
And dining was by reservation only. If you showed up without one you could expect to be turned away. This allowed the owners to control the volume of patrons and adhere to their self-established distancing rules.
Matt Brice did what he thought he needed to do to stay in business while doing so in a manner that appeals to those with heightened concerns. Consumers were free to decide if that was adequate or not. We need more of this, especially here in New Hampshire.
The idea that our entrepreneurs and job creators are not competent or capable of managing their own businesses is insulting, and frankly absurd. And while Gov Sununu has re-upped his emergency order for another 21 days, starting (how about tomorrow) businesses should be given the opportunity to make their own plan and open their doors.
Make your rules of operation available to anyone who asks and anyone who is uncomfortable with that can go somewhere else or stay home. No one is forcing you to do anything.