Merchants will be taking precautions to prevent players from hiring COVID-19.
(Sean P. Means | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Utah Jazz mural by Karabo Poppy sits alongside Osteria de Valter, 173 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. The restaurant is one of three that the NBA has approved for visiting teams to dine safely this season.
NBA teams traveling to Salt Lake City to face Utah Jazz this season will not be able to eat at any Utah restaurant.
The league worked with the players’ association to create a list of at least three approved restaurants in each NBA city as a way to help prevent players from contracting the coronavirus during the 2020-21 season, which is now underway.
The restaurants on the list in Salt Lake City are Red Iguana, Manoli’s and Valter’s Osteria – all located close to the Vivint Smart Home Arena in the city center and those that players have frequented in the past.
The Italian restaurant Valter’s even has a giant mural with a Jazz theme on the outer wall on the west side of the building.
Red Iguana, known for its “killer” Mexican food, has historically been a favorite restaurant for bands and musicians, but NBA players are also regulars, said owner Lucy Cardenas. “We have a history of feeding the teams and we are happy and humble that they love us and want to come and eat with us.”
This is especially true during the pandemic, she added, when seats were cut by almost 50% to ensure adequate social distance.
Manoli Katsanevas said that many of the international jazz players – past and present – dine regularly at his Greek restaurant.
Boris Diaw started coming several years ago, he said, and then brought Rudy Gobert and Ricky Rubio.
Katsanevas said his restaurant has also offered meals for the team on several occasions.
“We’ve been feeding them for some time,” he said, so being selected for the NBA list “happened organically.”
In addition to distant tables and other health protocols, when serving NBA teams, restaurant employees should wear masks and face shields, Katsanevas said. The restaurant must also limit the number of employees interacting with team members and must have a separate entrance and exit to limit the exposure of restaurant employees and other customers.
Katsanevas understands the need for additional protocols, he said, as “there are millions of dollars at stake”.
And when are the teams at home?
Under NBA guidelines, employees are prohibited from going to bars, salons or clubs, attending sporting or live entertainment events, using gyms, spas or swimming pools, or participating in social events over 15 people.