{"id":1320170,"date":"2020-05-24T11:04:29","date_gmt":"2020-05-24T17:04:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vaildaily.com\/?p=478320"},"modified":"2020-05-24T16:32:04","modified_gmt":"2020-05-24T22:32:04","slug":"the-new-normal-for-eagle-county-restaurants-and-bars-starts-monday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/the-new-normal-for-eagle-county-restaurants-and-bars-starts-monday\/","title":{"rendered":"The \u2018new normal\u2019 for Eagle County restaurants and bars starts Monday"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"498\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/05\/123_1-1024x498.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/05\/123_1-1024x498.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/05\/123_1-300x146.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/05\/123_1-768x373.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/05\/123_1-1536x746.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/05\/123_1-600x292.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/05\/123_1.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/p><figcaption><strong>Ahead of transitioning to the blue phase on May 25, the county updated its COVID-19 Business Toolkit. With new guidelines and restrictions for dine-in options starting Monday, many establishments are getting patios prepared to increase capacity in a safe way.<\/strong><br \/><em>Special to the Daily<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s fitting that Eagle County is proceeding through its reopening phases of COVID-19 in an analogy to ski run difficulties \u2014 green to blue to black. Monday marks the transition from the green beginner phase to the blue intermediate phase.<\/p>\n<p>Among the changes are restaurants and bars being allowed to reopen for dine-in. Ahead of reopening, Eagle County shared an updated COVID-19 business toolkit to help local businesses navigate the transition from the green phase to the blue phase. Developed by the Vail Valley Foundation, Vail Valley Partnership and the Basalt Chamber of Business, the toolkit offers a glimpse into the <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1e-votWpWK_VPRXoE5Y16UVRKU_N9DG3a5yec0u-9bgE\/preview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">future of restaurants and bars in the valley<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou are encouraged to be creative in how to apply these best practices in your establishment\u201d the toolkit says. \u201cEveryone in Eagle County is asked to be vigilant in protecting yourself, your family, your employees and your community by pledging to the 5 Commitments of Containment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Every open business in Eagle County must fill out the county\u2019s social distancing protocol, review it with employees and post it in a prominent location in the facility.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\" readability=\"6\">\n<div class=\"row vail-donation vail-donation-mobile p-0\" readability=\"7\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/03\/VD-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/03\/VD-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\" onclick=\"handleDonationButtonClickMidArticle()\">Donate<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The guidelines for restaurants and bars reopening are intended to reduce transmission among employees, maintain healthy business operations, maintain a healthy work environment and reduce the impact of COVID-19 on the community and high-risk populations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis freedom to move forward to the next phase and to our new normal comes at a pretty steep price \u2014 it\u2019s called responsibility,\u201d Vail Health President and CEO Will Cook said during an online community forum on May 14. \u201cBut we\u2019re humans. We evolve. We beat things.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018New&nbsp; normal\u2019 for restaurants and bars<\/h2>\n<div class=\"p402_hide\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/05\/IMG_20200505_110740-1024x576.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-478322\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/05\/IMG_20200505_110740-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/05\/IMG_20200505_110740-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/05\/IMG_20200505_110740-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/05\/IMG_20200505_110740-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/05\/IMG_20200505_110740-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/05\/IMG_20200505_110740-600x338.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/p><figcaption><strong>Bonfire Brewing in Eagle expanded its patio space by 500 square feet, adding capacity for about 10-12 more customers.<\/strong><br \/><em>Special to the Daily<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>For restaurants and bars reopening, indoor seating will be limited to 50% of seating capacity \u2014 not fire code capacity \u2014&nbsp; with a minimum of 6 feet between groups.<\/p>\n<p>There will be \u201cno seating or customer walk-up to bars in restaurants except for designated locations to place food and drink orders,\u201d the toolkit from the county says.<\/p>\n<p>Be prepared to see, and respect, signs at establishments asking customers that are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms to not enter. Guidelines also include separating guests while waiting to be seated and restricting self-service items, such as buffets.<\/p>\n<p>Reusable menus must be cleaned and sanitized between parties, and restaurants have been encouraged to use menu boards or single-service menus.<\/p>\n<p>Some restaurants and bars will be moving toward plastic, despite the environmental concerns. Normal or reusable tablewear is allowed, as long as dishwashing systems are properly operated to clean, disinfect and sanitize, the toolkit says while also clearly defining \u201ccleaning,\u201d \u201csanitizing\u201d and \u201cdisinfecting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With added sanitation efforts, restaurants are encouraged to avoid food contact when using disinfectants.<\/p>\n<p>Restaurants and bars are asked to make hand sanitizer readily available to guests.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStaff should wear a non-medical face covering at all times when at work,\u201d the county toolkit says. \u201cRemember that distance is better than masks. \u2026 Staff are permitted to use their own face veering, but it must cover both mouth and nose and not require frequent touching or adjusting.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Power of patios<\/h2>\n<p>With added guidelines, many restaurants and bars are looking to welcome guests to their patios this summer.<\/p>\n<p>At Bonfire Brewing in Eagle, an extra 500 square feet of patio space has been added, allowing the business to welcome about 10-12 more customers, owner Andy Jessen said, adding the local brewery lost 70% of its revenue having to shut down its normal taproom operations during the start of COVID-19. Bonfire has created a one-way flow through its taproom, set up sanitizer stations across the establishment, removed the self-serve popcorn and water machines and will be cleaning areas more frequently, among other precautions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s going to be tough. There\u2019s no way around it,\u201d Jessen said. \u201cBut we want to get open and try to do the best we can with it and keep things safe, let people let loose finally and see everybody again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bonfire temporarily adjusted its slogan to \u201cDon\u2019t Gather Round\u201d but is ready to welcome its customers back.<\/p>\n<p>In Avon, Blue Plate has its patio ready for customers \u2014 set up under a sea of pink crabapple trees.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe bright spot for us is we have such a big outdoor space,\u201d co-owner Ellie Roustom said. \u201cI really hope the weather cooperates. If it starts snowing Monday \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Local restaurants and bars are still encouraged to offer takeout options. With eased restrictions, Bonfire has started delivering kegs up and down the valley.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been so hard to move draft beer because there\u2019s nowhere to sell it other than growlers and crowlers at the taproom, so having the opportunity to deliver kegs out to homes has been good,\u201d Jessen said.<\/p>\n<h2>Preparing for visitors<\/h2>\n<p>According to a recent survey of over 15,000 people by RENTCafe, a nationwide search website, Vail is No. 8 on the Top 10 Most Resilient Nature Travel Destinations, a place on many people\u2019s itinerary once given the green light to vacation around the country. Yellowstone National Park is No. 1, and Aspen is No. 2.<\/p>\n<p>The survey, completed in early May, found that amid travel cancelations, there are still people hanging on to travel plans. Of the people surveyed having out-of-state travel plans, 40% had canceled, while 42% would still like to travel, even if at a later date, and 18% were undecided.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrankly, no one wants to get sick,\u201d Kris Mattera, executive director of the Basalt Chamber, said during the county forum. \u201cIt\u2019s not necessarily the tourist that\u2019s the bad guy \u2014 it\u2019s COVID.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While focusing on the health of the local community, leaders and officials in Eagle County have been facing the question about what happens when tourists return.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s an important question, but it\u2019s who we are,\u201d Romer said at the forum with other community leaders, donning a \u201cBe good to people.\u201d \u201cWe are a community that welcomes people from around the world, that is dependent upon people from around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For Sage Outdoor Adventures, opening its new Canyons restaurant in Wolcott (with a patio), customer safety and satisfaction is front and center.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want to make sure if a family with kids shows up at any one of our facilities and went on a trip with us that they would leave saying, \u2018They took such good care of us. They were really concerned with our health and our safety,\u201d said Sage Outdoor Adventures co-owner Darryl Bangert.<\/p>\n<p>For more information about restaurants and bars reopening in the valley, the <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/u\/1\/d\/e\/2PACX-1vQT6__n5rCnwkGOESK4gcsn1rC3HJUCwmyMsRhWCaJOiDPSHoSkhu7lN3JcT5HtQagPzP7SDecn354U\/pub\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">COVID-19 trail map<\/a> and other up-to-date information in the county, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.eaglecounty.us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/www.eaglecounty.us<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Assistant Editor Ross Leonhart can be reached at 970-748-2984 and <a href=\"mailto:rleonhart@vaildaily.com\">rleonhart@vaildaily.com<\/a>. Follow him on Instagram at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/colorado_livin_on_the_hill\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">colorado_livin_on_the_hill<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vaildaily.com\/news\/the-new-normal-for-eagle-county-restaurants-and-bars-starts-monday\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Vail Daily<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ahead of transitioning to the blue phase on May 25, the county updated its COVID-19 Business Toolkit. With new guidelines and restrictions for dine-in options starting Monday, many establishments are getting patios prepared to increase capacity in a safe way.Special to the Daily It\u2019s fitting that Eagle County is proceeding through its reopening phases of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1320170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-09-03 21:23:27","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1320170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1320170"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1320170\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1320171,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1320170\/revisions\/1320171"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1320170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1320170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1320170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}