ST CHARLES, Mo. — It's a still, quiet Sunday night on Main Street St. Charles. The streets and sidewalks — usually filled with parked cars and people walking — are wide open for the last day of Missouri's stay-at-home order.
At Lewis and Clark's restaurant, there's this sign in the window: "Reopening, Monday, May 4th."
"I feel like man stepping on the moon here. I mean, it's really different," owner Dan Badock said about the changes required to reopen their multi-storied restaurant.
"We have paper menus. We've tried to cut down on contact surfaces. We have additional hand sanitizers for our customers throughout the dining room," Badock said as he listed health and safety changes.
Photos on their Facebook page show new table arrangements that accommodate for social distancing, which Badock said exceed the required 6-foot gap.
Staff will wear masks and gloves during service as well.
But not every business owner on Badock's street said it's worth the risk for staff or customers.
"That is my number one concern — is taking care of the humans because that's an irreplaceable resource for us," Jackie Huebbe said.
Huebbe's Little O's Soda Shop has a different message in the front window: "temporarily closed."
Huebbe is using curbside delivery for sister business Sugarbot Sweet Shop, though she said it's too soon to reopen their doors for walk-in customers.
"I'm immunocompromised," Huebbe said. "I can't imagine not protecting myself. I can't imagine not protecting my employees' families."
Heubbe said reopening her businesses would force employees off unemployment benefits should they decide to stay home for health reasons.
At Lewis and Clark's, Badock "scared but excited" to step into the unknown, but he also thankful to open on a Monday, which will give him time to gauge how he will prepare for what's usually a busy event: Mother's Day weekend.
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