Rebound Idaho: Restaurant owners hope to regain lost revenue with Saturday reopening date

In order to reopen Saturday, Idaho’s restaurant owners had to submit a safety plan for approval by local health districts.

We gained insight on that process.

TO WALK THETIGHTROPE.BETWEENPROTECTINGPEOPLE'S SAFETYAND PROTECTINGTHEIR REVENUE.THIS... ASCUSTOMERS MULLCONCERNS OF THEIROWN.OUR MADELINEWHITE CONTINUESOUR REBOUND:IDAHO COVERAGETONIGHT... WITH ALOOK AT WHAT LOCALHEALTH DISTRICTSARE ASKINGRESTAURANTS TODO.IDAHO'S RESTAURANTOWNERS HAD TOSUBMIT A SAFETYPLAN FOR APPROVALBY LOCAL HEALTHDISTRICTS INORDER TO REOPENSATURDAY."I WAS PRETTYSURPRISED THATTHEY EVEN GOTBACK TO US SOQUICKLY."ONE LOCALFRANCHISE OWNERSHARING HER OWNEXPERIENCE WITHTHAT PROCESS."WE GOT AN EMAILFROM THE CENTRALDISTRICT HEALTHDEPARTMENT."THE FOUR TREASUREVALLEY QDOBAFRANCHISES SHECO-OWNS WILLREOPEN THEIRDINING ROOM ONSATURDAY.SHE SAYS THE TERMSOF THE APPLICATIONWERE PRETTYSTRAIGHTFORWARD."YOU GO LINE BY LINEAND IT HAS A CHECKBOX NEXT TO EACHONE JUST KIND OFSTATING, DO YOUAGREE THAT YOUWILL TAKE DOPROPER SANITATION,YOU WILL KEEPCAPACITY AT EACHOF YOURRESTAURANTS TO A50 PERCENTCAPACITY."SHE SAYS SOMEBOXES WERE ALITTLE MOREDISHEARTENING TOHAVE TO CHECK,THAN OTHERSAFTER HAVING LOST70 PERCENT OFTHEIR REVENUEWHEN THE STAY-AT-HOME ORDER WASPUT IN PLACE."AGREEING TO THE 50PERCENT CAPACITYWAS ANOTHER THINGWE WERE KIND OFLIKE UGH YA KNOW,FINALLY WE WEREABLE TO OPEN ANDPOSSIBLY GAIN BACKYA KNOW OUR LOSTREVENUE, BUT YAKNOW IF IT'S WHATWE HAVE TO DO INORDER TO OPEN,WE'RE WILLING TOWORK WITH THEDEPARTMENT OFHEALTH."MARIA SAYS SHE'SGRATEFUL TO BEABLE TO SPENDMORE TIME WITH HERCUSTOMERS AGAIN."ESPECIALLY OURCUSTOMERS THATCOME IN LIKE EVERYWEEK, WE KIND OFBUILDRELATIONSHIPS WITHTHEM A LOT SO I'MEXCITED TO SEE ALLOF THEM."SO HOW DOESCENTRAL DISTRICTHEALTH, FOREXAMPLE PLAN TOENSURE PROTOCOLSLIKE THESE AREBEING FOLLOWED?LIKE THEGOVERNOR.THEY'RE MOSTLYTRUSTING OWNERSWILL STICK TO THEIRAGREEMENT."WE ARE NOTPLANNING ONINSPECTING FOODESTABLISHMENTSSPECIFICALLYPERTAINING TO THEIRREOPENINGHOWEVER, WHENYOUR INSPECTIONCOMES UP ONCE AYEAR USUALLY, ANINSPECTOR MAYADDRESS YOURREOPENING PLANWITH YOU."BUT WHILE THESTATE IS USINGTERMINOLOGY LIKE"GUIDANCE" FORTHESE PROTOCOLSBOISE MAYORLAUREN MCLEAN.SIGNED PUBLICHEALTH ORDERSTHURSDAYREQUIRING BOISEBUSINESSES FOLLOWSAFETY PROTOCOLSOUTLINED BY THESTATE PUNISHABLEBY MISDEMEANORSHOULD A SITUATIONWARRANT.MADELINE WHITE.IDAHO NEWS 6.AN IDAHO SCHOOL