Last week, they finally had a chance to return to normal after the governor issued an executive order removing the mandate from the state mask and allowing companies to reopen at 100% capacity.
As varied as the approaches were his experiences this weekend, Covid-19’s first boundless deal for business – some have seen business improve, others said things have remained pretty much the same. One was the target of racist vandalism.
Here’s what some Texas companies told CNN about their first weekend since restrictions were lifted.
Mike Nguyen, San Antonio
On Sunday morning, Mike Nguyen discovered that his restaurant in San Antonio, Noodle Tree, had been vandalized with racist messages after he appeared in local media and on CNN to criticize the decision to suspend the mask’s mandate.
“Kung flu”, “come back 2 China” and “I hope you die” were written in red spray paint, according to photos he shared with CNN. (CNN contacted the San Antonio Police Department to comment on the incident).
“Honestly, for me it’s a piece of cloth that covers your face,” he said. “I don’t understand why they took it this far, but I think they wanted to send a message that masks are ridiculous, or something.”
But in addition to the vandalism, Nguyen said the weekend went well. He chose to continue to demand masks for customers, unless they are sitting at their desks. And he limited his dining room to about 60% to 70%, instead of reopening entirely.
Before the restaurant was vandalized, Noodle Tree doubled its business compared to last weekend, said Nguyen, calling it one of the restaurant’s “busiest weekends”. He was unable to say whether the increase was due to lifting restrictions or community support.
Nguyen said that whoever vandalized his restaurant does not represent Texans and does not represent Santonians. On Sunday, Nguyen told CNN that people approached the company in the morning to help clean up.
“I am very moved,” he said. “But I’m not surprised. This is what we do as Texans, this is what we do as Santonians – we help each other.”
He said this was also evident in how many Texans still wear masks, despite relaxed restrictions.
“It kind of shows that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that we can go back to what we were,” he said. “This is encouraging.”
“I just hope we don’t back down,” he added.
Lisa Dickinson, Fort Worth
Lisa Dickinson, a store manager in Fort Worth called Parts Unknown, said business was great this weekend. On Saturday, the store really outperformed the deals it had done at the same time in 2019, she said. “It was a very good day.”
The store is not demanding masks from its customers, said Dickinson, a decision that was made by his corporate office. But most of the customers who came this weekend wore masks anyway, she said.
“Nobody was upset with those who weren’t and nobody was upset with those who were,” she said. “Everyone took care of their own lives and had fun.”
Several customers this weekend were between 50 and 70, said Dickinson, and told her they were “squatting in their homes last year because of the pandemic.”
“They felt comfortable going out,” she said, in some cases because they were able to be vaccinated. “It’s like the first time they’ve ventured out in a while. They’ve chosen to come to Fort Worth, they’ve taken a hotel, they have dinner, they do some shopping.”
Dickinson said people are smart enough to make their own decisions about wearing masks. But she acknowledged that the pandemic is not over yet and said she hoped people would be “sensible” and not get together in large groups.
“But after what I witnessed this weekend, the good people of Texas … they respect what they need to do and I don’t think we need to hear what we should do or hide in our homes,” she said. “So I’m very hopeful for the future.”
Nicola Blaque, San Antonio
Chef Nicola Blaque has two restaurants in San Antonio. One, Mi Roti, which she opened during the pandemic, is in a San Antonio cafeteria and the property manages Covid-19 restrictions there. This means that there are no indoor meals and masks for everyone.
Despite the restrictions, the business Saturday was “very, very good,” Blaque told CNN.
“The restrictions at that restaurant are very strong,” she said, “and we didn’t have any negative reactions or anyone who didn’t follow the rules.”
As for his other restaurant, The Jerk Shack, the business was pretty much the same this weekend as it was during the pandemic. Although the restaurant has al fresco dining, Blaque continued with the take-out delivery service and still encourages social distance.
But, following the governor’s order, Blaque decided to give customers the option of wearing masks at The Jerk Shack – a decision that earned him some ratings from a star of customers who were upset that she didn’t require them.
Blaque said the decision was mainly for the safety of his employees. She did not want to put them in a position where they would have to apply masks to customers who did not cooperate.
“I am a minority, so 2020 was not the easiest for black restaurants,” she said. “It wasn’t just the pandemic going on, but other things that affected our business. So we just had to make the right decisions so that we didn’t get so many adverse reactions and so much tension.”
In the past, they have been the target of slander and racial threats, Blaque said. Once, someone broke into the windows of his food truck in front of his restaurant.
“Even the thought or the threat of violence – the safety of my employees is not worth it,” she said.
Ryan Lachaine, Houston
For months, restaurant staff in Riel, Houston, followed the rules regarding the safety of Covid-19, chef and partner Ryan Lachaine told CNN. The restaurant has been scrubbed so many times that the varnish is coming out of some of the seats.
But given the first chance in a year to open at 100% capacity, Lachaine and his business partners made the difficult decision to stay the course. This weekend, Riel was still operating at 50% capacity and the masks were still a must, said Lachaine. As a result, the restaurant has not seen much change.
“It’s business as usual. It was practically a normal Friday and Saturday night for us,” he said on Sunday, explaining that with the reduced occupancy, the restaurant was as full as it could be.
Lachaine compared managing the restaurant to walking a tightrope, balancing the desire to generate revenue with prioritizing the safety of its employees.
“In my opinion, you can’t have one without the other,” he said. “If I have no employees because they are sick or afraid to go to work, I cannot produce food for people to come. If I don’t have customers eating, I can’t pay my people. ”
As much as Lachaine would like to go back to normal, he said he wants to wait until his employees are fully vaccinated.
“That is my prerequisite,” he said.
Arnaldo Richards, Houston
After 12 months of operating at a loss, Arnaldo Richards, chef and owner of Pico’s Restaurant in Houston, said that “business has been incredible” this weekend.
“We had people coming up and saying, ‘I saw it on social media or on TV and we are here to support them,'” he said. Richards has also not reopened his dining room to 100% capacity, remaining at around 70%. At that level, he can still safely keep socially away customers, he said.
When the governor announced his order, Richards said he was initially excited, thinking about how it would stimulate the economy. But he chose to keep his employees, customers and the community safe, while keeping the restrictions in place.
Overall, Richards said he was optimistic about the future, based on how community members have reacted since Abbott’s order came into effect. “(It’s not) not really making people go out and be irresponsible,” he said.
“The governor said we could make the choice,” he said, “but it is up to the community, it is up to the individual, it is the company’s responsibility to be responsible. Because after 12 months you must know how to protect yourself.”
Danielle Wiener-Bronner of CNN contributed to this report.