Santa Cruz County businesses prepare for indoor services as they move to red tier

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) Santa Cruz County is moving to the less restrictive red tier of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, and business owners are preparing their locations for the possibility of more customers indoors.

In the red tier, the following business sectors can open:

• Amusement and theme parks- open at 15% capacity starting April 15
• Gyms and fitness centers- open indoors at 15% capacity
• Movie theaters- open indoors with capacity limited to 25% or 100 people, whichever is fewer
• Museums, zoos and aquariums- indoors with capacity limited to 25%
• Outdoor live events- open at 20% capacity starting April 1
• Restaurants- indoors with capacity limited to 25% or 100 people, whichever is fewer
• Retail- capacity limited to 50%
• Shopping centers- indoor capacity limited to 50%

While some businesses were able to thrive under restrictions and pandemic circumstances, others faced the loss of customers, profits and the uncertainties of keeping business going.

Tuesday's move for Santa Cruz County into the less restrictive red tier came as good news for many business owners who say allowing indoor services will not only bring in more customers and money, but it could mean bringing back employees who were laid off during the pandemic.

Steve Allen, the owner of two hotels in Santa Cruz County says he saw a 20 percent drop in business...with capacity restrictions making less hotel rooms available to the public.

“As we transition the red tier, that will open up the marketing, we’re also going into our historically busy spring break time of the year, everything is moving right now in the right direction," says Allen.

Allen says, however, the worst part for him was losing employees.

“We’ve been trying to hire at full capacity now for the last two weeks and it’s been challenging," says Allen.

This is also the case for German Lopez, owner of Silver Spur Cafe who spent his Tuesday serving customers outdoors and prepping his restaurant for indoor dining.

“Mainly it’s just keeping a lot of sanitizing stuff, making people feel safe when they come in the door," says Lopez.

Lopez says his objective is hiring back some of the staff members who had to be laid off.

Ballroom instructor Jeremy Pilling, Owner of Palomar Ballroom says he has kept his classes going by making them virtual but is preparing his studio with sanitizing products and air purifiers to bring back students for in-person instruction.

“Everybody needs to socialize and even though is important for people, all that is important especially during the pandemic when people can’t do as much so I think being able to do that again should help boost a lot of people’s morales," says Pilling.

Pilling says his in-person dance classes will be kept at a 10 percent capacity but hopes it will increase in the near future.

Business owners say health and safety guidelines are still being enforced and things like face masks will still be required.