Local restuarants are ajusting to the capacity increase

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) -Governor Tate Reeves recently announced that restaurants and bars can serve 75% of their capacity while also following all cleaning and sanitation guidelines.

Restaurants are gradually getting back to the pre-corona virus business thanks to the new capacity limit.

1883 Smokehouse is now able to serve a maximum of 65 customers at a time, and House Manager Marie Miller said the smokehouse’s cleaning procedures are staying the same.

“We ask them the same questions, and if you have been around anybody or have you lost your taste or smell or anything like that, and if they have a response, then we won’t let them come in the door,” said Miller. “We make sure that everything is sanitized down daily. Each customer comes in, and the tables are clean and disinfected. Everybody has to wear their gloves, and we change gloves for every table that comes in. Anything on the table, we take off, and we sanitize it, including the barbecue sauce and salt and pepper shakers.”

One approach the restaurant is taking is utilizing a buffet. Buffet Cook Sharonda Summerville feels it’s a safer option because she is the only person handling the food.

“Guests are not touching the food, all they do is come up, and I have my gloves on, of course, and I fix their food and do the salads and everything,” said Summerville. “So the customers basically just stand on the outside and go through the line as I fix their stuff.”

Miller is grateful for more customers and the college students that are back in town.

“Everything is picking back up, especially since college kids are coming back, and they are able to go to school,” said Miller. “We’ve had a lot more kids that we haven’t had before, Business is coming back to normal, but it’s just going to take some time. But everybody is trying to adjust to it and just work together as a team.”

Local restaurants have been open at a reduced capacity since the middle of May.