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Colorado Springs restaurants face familiar challenges with new coronavirus guidelines

table wiping paravicinis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- El Paso County will move to Safer At Home Level 2 restrictions on Nov. 4 due to rising COVID-19 rates. As restaurants transition to new capacity limitations, safety is top of mind.

Restaurants like Paravicini's Italian Bistro in Old Colorado City are already preparing, with a renewed emphasis on cleaning protocols, curbside services, outdoor patio, and covered seating.

"Restaurants in general always follow a great sanitation procedure, we have to," Chef Franco Pisani said, "But you know, we just step it up."

When Safer at Home Level 2 restrictions go into effect, restaurants will have to lower capacity to 50 percent, while still maintaining social distancing measures.

"If God gives us days like today, we'll have the outdoor expanded dining that the city has been very graceful in letting restaurants expand their outdoor dining facilities. So, you know, you got to do what you've got to do."

Pisani said he will be relying more on outdoor patio and rooftop seating at his restaurants in addition to curbside takeout.

"If everybody does their part, we're all in this together, then you know the numbers will go down and we'll be able to open up."

It's a similar situation at the Atomic Cowboy in Downtown Colorado Springs, which is also home to the Denver Biscuit Company and Fat Sully's Pizza.

General Manager Mendy Coffey said they'll be focusing on the success of their curbside pickup.

"We're aware that we'll have to limit our seating a little bit more. We're ramping up for more to-go, so we're adding some more people to just execute to-go better," Coffey said.

This is in addition to abundant outdoor seating and patios. So far, Coffey said business has been good, but admits further restrictions would be tough.


 "If we had to go under another quarantine, that would be really tough. We have a lot of team members here that depend on us daily and in the service industry, these guys kind of work day-to-day rather than week-to-week, with working off of tips and things like that."

Regardless, Coffey said this year's ups and downs have helped prepare them for whatever comes next and said ultimately, it really does depend on the public's support.

"We appreciate that the public has been very aware that our seating is limited, so it makes that wait time a little longer for some of the other people that want to get in."

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Jen Moynihan

Jen Moynihan is a weekend anchor and reporter for KRDO. Learn more about Jen here.

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