Bars, restaurants, indoor entertainment venues and many other businesses reopen with restrictions
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Eateries like Invictus Brewing Company in Blaine are hopeful Wednesday brought a new beginning, as the third phase of the governor’s plan to reopen the state went into effect.
"We’re opening at 50% capacity in the tap room inside, we’ll still maintain our 50 people outside for now," said Previn Solberg, president of Invictus.
A month ago, Invictus was working on new technology to help with seating inside. They’ve taken some tables out to make sure diners are 6 feet apart and will take reservations to control crowds.
"We want to be responsible as we start to open," Solberg added.
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A small lunch crowd showed up at Bricks Kitchen and Pub Wednesday afternoon.
"Right now, I’m loving the people coming back in, happy to have them back in," said Thomas Masteller with Bricks Kitchen and Pub.
Space is a focus, as is sanitation.
"It’s two different sanitizers for tables and chairs, you leave it on for a bit let it do its work, wipe it off and then come back with a sanitizer," Masteller shared.
These businesses are fortunate they survived the shutdown but there are many other restaurants that did not.
Gyms, movie theaters, bowling alleys and arcades are among the other businesses that can open at 25% capacity. Customers couldn’t wait to work out at Endurance Fitness of Minnesota in Lexington.
"My heart rate is about 118 and it’s been going like that since I got here so that’s good, it’s a good thing, it feels read good," said Craig Wills.
Each person has a timer and their own sanitation materials, and those exercising are spaced out on machines for social distancing.
Endurance said they survived because of their members.
"It’s a community here, everybody knows everybody, we used to have coffee in the lobby, not right now, we can’t, but hopefully we’ll get back there," said General Manager Barb Fudali.
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Whirlyball Twin Cities in Bloomington showed 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS some of the changes they made in their 40,000 square foot facility.
"We are ready for everyone to come back. We want everyone to come back,” said lead bartender Barry McDonald.
The location offers Whirlyball courts, bowling lanes, laser tag and eating areas.
McDonald said only two of their eight bowling lanes will be in use at any given time, with up to six people per lane.
"Everything gets wiped down and sanitized, including the balls and the finger holes, so everything is going to be clean for the next person,” McDonald said.
They are also budgeting at least half an hour between Whirlyball reservations, so one group is gone before the next comes in and they have extra time to disinfect equipment.
Their two-story laser tag arena will only allow 10 people inside at a time.
The eating areas will feature tables spaced 6 feet apart, with menus available by scanning a QR code with a smartphone.
Not all gyms are openning. The YMCA has just two metro locations open right now, the company shared an email with members stating others will phase in over the next several weeks.
As for pools that haven’t already closed for the season, many are undecided if they’ll open. Others, like the Anoka Aquatic Center, plan to open June 15th but for season pass holders and residents only.
Mall of America reopens Wednesday
Mall of America also welcomed shoppers Wednesday for the first time since the shutdown started. Other malls in the Twin Cities had already opened several weeks ago.
"We’ve been seeing quite a few more people than we expected today,” said Brooklyn Schwiesow, a sales associate at Pandora Jewelry inside Mall of America.
Extra precautions at the mall include touch screen directories taken out of use, plexiglass installed around help desks and limits on how many people can be in each store at a time.
“They had people standing 6 feet apart and told you when to go ahead, so they had a pretty good process in place,” explained Tina Sellin, who was shopping with her family during the reopening Wednesday.
Nickelodeon Universe inside the mall will remain closed for now. A mall spokesperson said they have not set a date for when that will reopen and are waiting for more guidance from the governor.