By Beacon Staff
It was understandably slow Friday when Chase Gibb reopened the dine-in portion of his Buffalo61 Bar and Grille restaurant in Fort Madison.
It had been more than 40 days since Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds shuttered dine-in options at restaurants and non-essential businesses in an attempt to slow the wave of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Reynolds eased restrictions in 77 of Iowa’s 99 counties on May 1, including Lee County but not Des Moines County.
“I think people were a little bit nervous the first day,” Gibb said.
Any qualms potential diners may have had about dining out Friday had disappeared by Saturday. Hours were limited, but business was hopping.
“We were full almost the entire time,” Gibb said.
By “full,” Gibb means at half-capacity. That’s the most allowable under the governor’s new guidelines, which Gibb keeps posted on the wall as a reference for his mask-clad servers.
“It was a little bit overwhelming because our take-out remained just as busy,” Gibb said.
Given the divisive nature of Reynold’s decision to reopen many of Iowa’s dining rooms, Gibb was ready for anything. Locals who might give him an earful for opening too early. Reluctant shut-ins who might not follow social distancing rules in their giddiness to rejoin public life.
He didn’t get any of that.
“The only thing that happened, one table of people seated themselves and tried to sit down next to another table,” Gibb said.
Instead of resistance, Gibb garnered appreciation — not only from Lee County residents but from that outside of the county. Groups of diners from as far away as Knoxville, Ill., we're anxious to dine.
One customer, tired of his wife’s cooking, drove more than 100 miles to eat at the restaurant.
“I was surprised by the number of people bringing children in, which is fine, as long as they’re following guidelines,” he said.
A DIFFERENT WAY OF DINING IN
Despite the booming business, residual effects of the pandemic can be felt at every corner of the restaurant. Social distancing rules leave every other table empty. Patrons can sit at the bar but must remain six-feet apart — essentially limiting seating to three-at-a-time.
Hand-sanitizer bottles are stationed at every table, while napkin holders, ketchup bottles, and other condiments aren’t allowed. Waitstaff brings out ketchup packets, and no pitchers are used for refilling drinks.
Alcohol can be served without issue, as long as the establishment isn’t strictly a bar, and customers can stay as long as they like after eating if they would like drinks. There’s no mandate against that, Gibb said.
The cleaning and disinfecting process were laborious, but not much beyond the cleanliness standards Gibb maintains. Staff was more nervous about actually getting back into the flow, he said.
“I told them, other than the masks and the social distancing, this what you guys do every day,” he said. “They have always kept it clean.”
Gibb said the biggest difficulty was getting some employees back to work, given the extra $600 a week they were receiving in unemployment benefits.
Aside from five primary mandates, Reynolds also issued 21 suggested courses of action that Gibb has taken to heart. He said the biggest hindrance has been Reynolds’ suggestion that customers make reservations.
Given the small number of customers he’s legally allowed to have inside, Gibb said the combination of reservations and drop-ins led to overcrowding. To avoid gatherings, Gibb has customers wait in their vehicles, taking down license plate numbers so servers can bring them back inside when a table opens.
KEEPING BUSINESS ALIVE IN A LOCKDOWN
Though dining rooms in Iowa haven’t been open for more than a month, Gibb never closed his doors to take-out or delivery. He continually ran homespun ads and promotions on Facebook for all of his restaurants, including Coal Haus 337 and The Buffalo Tavern in Burlington.
Gibb also drummed up $8,000 in donations via Facebook, allowing his staff to deliver free pizzas to essential workers. Word of mouth has been good, bringing in customers who have never tried a coal-fired pizza.
“That (the expanded customer base) is going to pay off four or five years from now,” he said.
Coal Haus 337 and The Buffalo Tavern have yet to reopen their dining areas, per the governor’s orders. In Des Moines County, restrictions on restaurants and other businesses are in effect until at least May 15.
Gibb said the re-launch of Buffalo61 has served as a good template for reopening dine-in service at his other restaurants, adding: “I feel like I have a leg up."
Photo by Joy Mack
Buffalo61 Bar and Grille restaurant in Fort Madison reopened its doors to dine-in customers on May 1 after Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds ease restrictions on some businesses in 77 counties. Twenty-two counties, including Des Moines County, remain on restrictions imposed to stop the spread of COVID-19 until at least May 15.