California now asking Monterey County to scale back reopening in some business sectors
MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) It's deja vu for business owners, "It's really an emotional rollercoaster for us," said Faisal Nimri, Co-Owner of Dametra Cafe.
Nimri opened his cafe for dine-in about a month ago, but after a busy 4th of July weekend, it's back to square one.
"I probably will have to cut down again, cut down the ordering. Also, we have reservations already set up for the whole week. I have to call everybody back and tell them that we can't," said Nimri.
After a recent spike in cases, Governor Gavin Newsom asked Monterey County businesses to scale back. Restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, zoos, museums and cardrooms must close indoor operations. Bars must close all operations.
"Activities that are indoors, we want to move them outdoors. We've done that in multiple sectors of our economy. Restaurants being a notable example," said Newsom.
Carmel-by-the-Sea restaurant owners have prepared for another closure. The city has allowed restaurants to obtain permits for outdoor dining. Restaurants can reserve up to two parking spaces to fill with seating and tables. "The outdoors is great. People feel safer outdoors," said Nimri.
Like many restaurants, Dametra Cafe will continue to offer take-out, but uncertainty comes with it. "As far as how long I will be able to sustain that, it's hard to tell," said Nimri.
