Local firms weigh benefits of expanding
Gov. Jay Inslee’s Oct. 6 announcement of loosened coronavirus restrictions for some businesses gives restaurants, movie theaters, libraries and real estate companies more latitude, but it’s still well short of full operations.
Restaurants can now serve alcohol until 11 p.m. and increase table capacities to six people, including members from different households. Movie theaters and libraries will be able to operate at 25% capacity, and real estate companies are allowed to offer open houses in counties that are in Phase II of the state’s re-opening plan (as is Okanogan County).
The new guidelines haven’t made a big difference for business operations in the Methow, as owners struggle to achieve a workable cost-to-benefit ratio.
“Opening with 25% occupancy means only letting around 20 people in,” said Genevieve Cole, co-owner of The Barnyard Cinema in Winthrop. That wouldn’t cover the operating costs to keep the movie theater open.
“We face massive amounts of overhead, and to get [the theater] back in operation we would incur those costs,” said Cole.
“And then you have the additional stress of managing the business while we’re still not in a totally safe environment,” said Cole, who as of now has no plans to open the theater to the public.
“It’s been a mess,” said Cole. “It’s like we’re all being asked to completely to reinvent our business.”
Capacity issues
Instead, The Barnyard Cinema will continue to offer private screenings, a model the theater developed after shutting down to the public due to COVID. Groups of no more than 10 people, all from the same household, can rent the theater for an evening.
“Once you open to the public, you don’t know who you’re getting in there. It’s not safe,” said Cole. “Which means, we’re not going to be opening anytime soon.”
Capacity is also an issue for Adam Custis, owner of the Linwood restaurant in Twisp, who said that the storefront’s square footage wouldn’t allow for enough diners to keep the doors open.
Custis has been running a take-out only menu at the restaurant, and while orders have been lower than normal and he’s not doing any alcohol sales, Linwood is still able to stay ahead financially since he’s not paying a variety of operating costs.
“The math works for doing take-out only,” said Custis. “Until things calm down, whenever that is.”
The Old Schoolhouse Brewery in Winthrop has been serving food on its back patio only. Business manager Deneen Bishop said it’s hard to tell if the pub has seen an increase in business since they’ve expanded their table seating to allow for six. Expanded hours for alcohol sales won’t help — the brewhouse closes well before 11 p.m.
Open houses?
The option for real estate companies to hold open houses comes as the home sale season is starting to wind down.
“I don’t think we’ll have a lot of open houses, if we do decide to hold them,” said Brian Colin, co-owner of Mountain to River Realty in Winthrop. “It may just be negated by the season.”
Open houses are limited to no more than five people, which presents a logistical problem for Colin. “How do you anticipate that?” he said. “Ultimately, it will be up to the seller to decide if they want us to hold an open house.”
For NCW Libraries, the new guidelines will allow the Twisp and Winthrop libraries to re-open to the public. Both libraries are scheduled to re-open on Nov. 2, and will be allowed to operate at 25% capacity.
Patrons will be asked to limit their time in the library to around 30 minutes, but will be able to browse, check out and return library materials, and use the libraries’ computer stations, according to NCW Libraries.
