FENTON, MISSOURI (KMOX) - New restrictions that ban indoor service at bars and restaurants in St. Louis County begin Tuesday. That is putting the squeeze on business owners who say customers who want a table or a drink need only go into the City or a neighboring county for a seat.
"I'm hoping we get just bombarded with Thanksgiving orders." Says Russell Ping. He owns Russell's Cafe in Fenton, where they just completed an expansion into the building next door so to accommodate for more customers with the current capacity restrictions. But that's all off come Tuesday when he can't seat anyone. "We're using this new space just to organize and box things up" for the holiday pick-up orders.
But Russell also owns Russell's on Macklind and Lola Jean's, both within St. Louis city limits. Those restaurants will still be allowed to seat diners, while those in the County will not. "You drive another 20 minutes to Jefferson County or 30 minutes to St. Charles, and those people don't have many restrictions at all."
The restauranteur doesn't think it should be that way. "For the City and the County to not be in agreement on the plan of action they're going to take is a major setback for us." He understands something has to be done - and if that means no indoor service to curb the pandemic - so be it. But allowing customers to sit down for drinks or meals in one area, but not another does little to stem the surge and is unfair to businesses.
In the meantime, Russells is working on Thanksgiving turkeys, fixings and deserts to help them make payroll. The company is launching an online ordering platform early due to the situation. Ping doesn't fear Russell's won't survive the pandemic, saying he learned to scratch out a living early on before he built up the restaurants. But he did have to close his big new location in Chesterfield right after opening it this year. Ping says he's confident he'll be welcoming customers sometime next year. Your table will be waiting.
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