SARASOTA (WSNN) – Many Florida restaurants have been open since The Governor’s Phase One, but now we are seeing some on the Suncoast choosing to shut down again.
The Sunshine State hit more than one-hundred thousand cases this week. Local data show Sarasota and Manatee Counties hit record highs last week.
The surge is enough for some restaurant owners to temporarily close for a second time. El Melvin Cocina Mexicana in downtown Sarasota is one of them.
“We decided to take a proactive measure and shutdown the restaurant to give it a deep clean, sanitation, and sterilization, and get our employees tested, El Melvin Cocina Mexicana Co-owner, Matt Hess, said. “We want to make sure we’re doing our part in the community and prevent the spread of the virus as best we can.
They plan to reopen on Friday.
But for other dining spots, like Raffurty’s Bar and Grill and Pacific Rim, they temporarily closed after COVID-19 was discovered at their establishments.
“Pacific Rim takes the safety of our patrons and employees very seriously,” Pacific Rim voicemail said. “We understand that COVID19 cases have been significantly on the rise. While we have implemented stringent cleaning and decontamination protocols including temperature checks, testing of our employees and various other safety measures, we have made the hard decision to close temporarily, due to an infected person having recently been in our restaurant.
Pacific Rim’s voicemail says it will reopen when it’s safe to do so.
Infected customers and employees are forcing closures.
“We are sad to report that an employee of Café L’Europe has tested positive for COVID19,” Café L’Europe’s voicemail said. “While the State of Florida does not require us to disclose positive cases, or shutdown the restaurant, your safety is our first priority.”
Café L’Europe is testing *every* employee, with the results determining re-opening.
Sarasota resident, Taylor Kelly, says while she believes businesses need to open, she thinks restaurants opened too quickly.
“It’s kind of backfiring on most of the businesses here, because now they’re going to have shut down again and they’re noticing an increase in employees having the coronavirus, so it’s definitely upsetting not being able to eat at my favorite restaurants, but it’s probably for the best,” Kelly said.
I spoke to some other restaurant owners in the area who said they’re doing their best to stay open, but if an employee does get coronavirus, they will temporarily shut down.
Other restaurants in Sarasota with temporary closures include Evie’s, DaRuMa Japanese Steakhouse, and Selva Grill.
