Restaurant owners discuss concerns over possibly reopening in May

Baton Rouge’s economy could begin reopening as soon as May 1, but local restaurant owners aren’t expecting a huge wave of relief.

Even once they’re allowed to reopen their dining rooms, restaurants won’t look the same as they did just six weeks ago. For much of the foreseeable future, the days of standing shoulder-to-shoulder at a bar or sharing a meal at a table for 10 will be no more. Workers will don personal protective equipment. But perhaps the biggest question that looms in the back of restaurateurs’ minds is whether business will be any better—especially considering historical consumer spending patterns during other nationwide economic downturns.

“Will people even want to come back out to eat? That’s the scariest thing for the restaurant industry to think about right now,” says Stephen Hightower, who owns City Pork, City Slice and Rouj Creole. “This isn’t going to be a flip of the switch and everything is back to normal. What if there aren’t any LSU sports? That’s something that drives a lot of business for many of us.”

Still, Hightower plans to reopen his concepts as soon as the statewide dining ban is lifted. Though he’s been offering takeout and delivery options, Hightower says those sales are just “a small fraction” of typical restaurant sales, declining to elaborate but pointing to the expected $50 billion drop industrywide.

Taking these new realities into consideration, some restaurant owners doubt the benefits of reopening in the near future.

Read on for the rest of the story, which originally appeared in Daily Report‘s April 20 edition. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.