UPDATE: This past weekend Jefferson County’s COVID Dial hit Level Clear as well as, separately, the county adjusted the current mask mandate.  An exciting accomplishment for all of us in our quest to return to “normal.”  As a restaurant we thought we would be looking so forward to this day and it would be cause for celebration and it is, sort of.  This past 14 months has been full of ups and downs for everyone.  And just because the COVID Dial says Clear, we are learning, it does not mean that the hospitality industry is in the clear.  Staffing shortages and rising prices on food and fuel continue to have us reinventing the wheel daily—and because of this, and our ongoing commitment to servicing all comfort levels, we have made the decision to reopen our restaurant in phases.  Most of our added seats in the coming weeks will be to our patio area to maintain distancing efforts indoors for a while longer.  Below is an outline of how we plan to transition into our new normal.

Beginning Sunday May 16

• Masks: State and County Public Health Authorities have given individual business’ the go-ahead to determine their own mask policy at this time.  While we are hesitant to believe that this is the last we will hear on the subject, we are going to move forward with the most current guidance from local authorities and CDC.  That said, we will be going on the “honor system” and encouraging all our staff and patrons to be vaccinated upon entering our establishment without a mask, however, will not require a mask upon entry.  As with any medical decision, we believe the decision to vaccinate is personal,  therefore we will not be checking for proof of vaccination.   We continue to encourage all to wear a mask if you are not vaccinated.  Again, this all may change in the coming days so we will continue to monitor local and CDC guidelines.
• Reservations: We will go back to only accepting reservations for tables of 5 or more.  This was our policy pre-covid and we are returning to it as we believe it is most beneficial to customers.  By not holding tables for reservations, it cuts down on wait times for guests by allowing us to seat tables has they come. To assist with this, we have implemented an online waitlist that can be utilized to add yourself to the list when you are on your way.  This will also help in reducing wait times while at the restaurant.  Please note that once your number comes up, we will only hold your table for 5 minutes before moving on to the next party.   
• Bar: Our bar seating will go back to being on a first come first serve basis.  We will no longer accept bar reservations.   This too gives the opportunity for folks to be seated faster.
• Patio: As of this week, patio reservations will not be accepted.  This is a tough one we know, but the weather is unpredictable, it just does not make sense to guarantee anyone a table outside when we just do not know when it is going to open up and pour.  

Again, as we work through all the nuances of these new safety guidelines as well as supply and staffing hurdles, we will begin adding tables to the patio, bar and ultimately the dining room.  

Lastly, we ask that you respect that job that we do.  While you may not understand why we make the decisions that we do, we hope you will remember that we are the experts on our establishment, there are reasons for each and everything we do.  We could all use a little more kindness and grace in our worlds, and we especially ask that you find it in your hearts to show us some in the coming months as we navigate through this next set of challenges.  

We are so excited to be working towards “normal” again and look forward to having you all back in the restaurant this summer!