DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - Restaurants, movie theaters and malls are all among businesses that will be allowed to reopen Friday with additional restrictions. Governor Greg Abbott announced the plan Monday, and the Texas Restaurant Association says businesses will spend the rest of this week developing a plan.
Restaurants can only open at 25 percent of their regular capacity. The industry group says smaller restaurants may not be able to turn a profit with crowds that small.
"As the governor stated and we have been stating for weeks, if you are not ready to open, don't open," says Texas Restaurant Association Chief Executive Officer Emily Knight. "If you can't make the math work, don't open."
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Knight says restaurants that do plan to open will spend this week designing layouts so tables are spaced farther apart and deciding whether to require employees to wear masks.
"I think, really, the consumer is going to demand and vote with their feet on where they feel safe," she says.
Since restrictions began, Knight says two percent of restaurants in Texas have closed permanently. She said an additional six percent could close by the end of the month. She says 700,000 people in food service have lost their job.
"That's an extraordinary number of people," Knight says. "So we're trying to make sure we can get them back and those who can be retrained or trained."
She says additional training may help employees adapt and find new opportunities if more restaurants decide to keep drive-up or curbside service long-term.
"Our hope now is that with new federal funding coming down, and the work we're doing to improve some loan forgiveness options, that we will be able to save more restaurants," Knight says.
In malls, food courts, play areas and interactive displays must stay closed.
Museums and libraries can also open with the same 25 percent occupancy restriction. Interactive displays there must stay closed as well.