ST. LOUIS — Cardinals' pre-season baseball started Sunday at spring training in Florida. St. Louis-restaurant owners are hoping to get a piece of the action, too.
Bar and restaurant owners have been practicing their COVID-19 mitigation techniques for a year. They are hoping that after seeing their efforts, fans will not stay away.
O.B. Clark’s in Brentwood is a Blues bar and a Cardinals bar. Inside, tables are six feet apart, customers are required to wear masks and tables and bar stools are separated by plastic barricades hanging from the ceiling.
Downtown, in the shadow of Busch Stadium, Paddy O’s practically sits on hallowed ground.
“The majority of our revenue comes from folks who are either going to or leaving the baseball stadium,” Owner Andrew Foley said.
Foley said business plans these days involve designing COVID-mitigation efforts.
“From a size-wise perspective,” he said, “we are able to have a large number of folks in here and do it safely. That’s what’s really important.”
Foley said a few years ago, Paddy O’s went from a few thousand square feet to 35,000 square feet. Paddy O’s has spaced tables out, added sanitation stations, and put up signage reminding people about mask usage. They’re also offering an all-digital menu that patrons can access by scanning a QR code on their smartphones.
“We’ve added a large number of tables so people can be separate and with the folks they’re comfortable with in their bubble, and not create a massive exposure situation,” Foley said.
In a new normal, it’s the price of doing business in the restaurant and bar industry. Patrons expect nothing less.