Pandemic-related restrictions on restaurants and bars in Michigan were lifted on Tuesday. WKAR’s Scott Pohl visited a few downtown Lansing eateries to see what changes are being made.
Washington Square’s Zoup! sandwich shop has been preparing for more customers. Manager Joseph Dilts says furniture has been taken out of storage, and tables will soon be set up outdoors. “We brought the rest of the tables and chairs up that we had stored away," Dilts says, "so yeah, now everything is back up here. So now, we’ve just got to hope we bring customers back in.”
Up Washington Avenue, Kewpee’s Sandwich Shop was doing steady business with takeout orders and sit-down meals on Tuesday, but not at full capacity. Owner Autumn Weston says they’ll open to 100% when they can, “but not right this second.” Weston adds that “as long as we keep our customers safe and our employees safe, we’re just doing it in our time, so just be patient and be kind to this industry right now, because the people that have been showing up to work, they show up, and they’re really working, so just be patient and be kind, you know?”
Social Sloth Café and Bakery owner Burcay Gunguler also plans to ramp up with some caution. “No, not yet, not yet," she explains. "People will get used to it, and we are going to get used to things. We are still using the mask when we are inside, and some people aren’t…they don’t feel comfortable, we can see that, and they are still doing some take-outs, so I think, take a little bit of time I think.”
At Midtown Brewing Company, the staff was busy with a couple of private parties and declined an interview other than to say they’re “very excited” about the elimination of capacity limits.