Local restaurants participate in #LetUsServe protest

With the coronavirus it seems like it's been one step forward, two steps back.

And some area restaurant owners are particularly frustrated with the dance.

"It's definitely bad for the industry, bad for the people," said Justin Cole, who owns Roosevelt Brewing Company & Public House in Portales.

"I think we've been doing things right all along; we've been pre-emptive on so much stuff. We pulled out half our tables a month before our government said to. We had masks before they said to. ...

"It's disappointing that the state isn't looking at what individual businesses are doing. I think it's one of those things where a few bad apples spoil the bunch."

The newest of the new health orders from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham went into effect on Monday. It's in response to a growing number of positive COVID-19 tests and an increase in hospitalizations across New Mexico.

Its most noticeable impact was in closing restaurant's indoor dining rooms for a second time since the pandemic began.

This order is effective through July 30.

"I hope that (the order) ends on the 30th (of July) and things get back to nice, safe business where we can safely serve our community," Cole said.

"I would say we're going to be down 70 percent in sales with the new closure. It's killing jobs too, local tax revenue. I don't think it helps anything."

Protests seen across state

Cole is not alone.

Local employees of Foxy Drive In, Taco Box, K-Bob's Steakhouse and Lunch Box were among those participating in a #LetUsServe protest outside their buildings on Monday.

They joined restaurant workers and owners across the state who took to their parking lots and social media pages Monday in a "virtual protest" against the dining-room shutdowns.

The New Mexico Restaurant Association organized the protest. It has indicated it will request a court order allowing restaurants to continue offering dine-in services.

Photos on the association's social media sites show participants from a wide range of restaurants participating in the event, including many in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Gallup and Clovis.

Carol Wight, CEO of the restaurant association, said there is no evidence that restaurants are causing the spread of coronavirus.

The Governor's Office said the newly reinstated ban on indoor dining at restaurants is about safety, not punishment.

"We're not placing 'blame' on all restaurants," office spokeswoman Nora Meyers Sackett wrote in an email. "The blame falls on the virus itself and any New Mexicans who are not taking every precaution to limit the spread of it, because as the virus continues to spread, prolonged exposure without face-coverings - like in high-contact indoor settings, i.e. restaurants - becomes an even more significant risk factor."

The Governor's Office didn't cite any specific studies in response to questions raised by restaurateurs.

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Tom Martin, owner of the Taco Box franchises in Clovis and Portales, said his restaurants never did re-open for dine-in after the first shutdown, "because we don't feel our configuration and the way we do business allows us to fully protect the public inside the dining area."

Still, Martin feels the government mandates are unfairly targeting restaurants.

"I'm not sure if it's just because we're in the forefront or what the reason is. I understand they don't want mass gatherings, but from what I understand most restaurants that do have dining rooms open, they practice safe distancing, they're practicing good hygiene, the employees are wearing gloves and masks.

"I learned a long time ago that statistics don't lie, but liars use statistics," Martin said. "I don't see the data supporting that restaurants are the primary cause of the COVID-19 spread."

Chris Bryant, a Clovis city commissioner who owns Foxy's, said he also feels targeted.

"I don't quite understand why she (Grisham) is singling out restaurants when they are doing anything they can to comply," Bryant said. "So I'm a little confused with the decision she's making. I think everyone is complying with the 6-foot distancing and the masks."

Foxy's is another example of restaurants that have voluntarily limited service to curbside throughout much of the pandemic.

"We're basically set up for this," he said. "We actually closed the inside dining a few weeks prior to this because we didn't want to ask or force our customers to wear masks. ... We're continuing to operate right now outside, and we'll continue to do so until this is lifted."

But he still feels the mandate is too much.

"I think it is," Bryant said. "I think she's overreacting a little bit. I think she needs to maybe go ahead and keep some health orders in place but continue to let people go out and help the economy get back to as close to normal as we can.

"This is killing the economy and killing restaurants and the employees. I just don't think her decision has really been thought out."

The Albuquerque Journal contributed to this report.