LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky continues to set records with COVID-19 cases due to the quick-spreading omicron variant. The record-breaking numbers are having an impact on many businesses in Louisville.
Restaurants like Decca are asking patrons to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.
At Wilshire on Market, they’re letting people know they’re closed temporarily due to the virus.
They’re different courses of actions but both restaurants said they made the decisions with their employees.
“It was too small in there to be safe and to have our guests be safe,” Susan Hershberg, owner of Wiltshire Pantry, said.
“Everybody that works at Decca was really together on this," Clay Reynolds, one of the owners of Decca, said.
Reynolds said the restaurant was closed for 8 months due to COVID-19, finally reopening in Sept. 2021.
He said as it got colder, and outdoor seating was no longer an option, his staff told him requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test was the right move.
“We wanted to try to create a safe environment for you to come and enjoy and not have to think about all this stuff for a couple of hours,” he said.
Hershberg echoed that sentiment.
She said employees at the Barrett Avenue location, which is similar in size to the now-closed Market Street location, didn’t feel safe.
"They said, 'we're just not comfortable having this many people in here unmasked, eating, standing at the counter with their masks down’”, she explained
It’s why Hershberg said the location moved to carryout only, pushing customers to her Main Street location if they wanted the dine-in option.
Even still, masks and proof of vaccination are required.
"That was a decision that was driven by my staff," Hershberg said. "We've gotten a little bit of pushback, but even more so we've gotten people who have gone out of their way to thank us and to spread the word."
Reynolds has had a similar experience saying response has been “fantastic.” He even said he he’s had a guest schedule months in advance because of the policy.
"We had one couple who got excited and said, 'can you book our date night here every Friday for the next 6 months,'" he explained.
Both owners say they'll continue to monitor the situation but said safety of their staff and guests is important.
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