Signs of life in San Francisco as city eases COVID restrictions
Signs of life in San Francisco as city eases COVID restrictions
Outdoor dining on a cold January day may not be appealing to many, but restaurants were happy to offer more services as San Francisco eases some COVID-19 restrictions. KTVU's Amber Lee reports lines formed outside barbershops.
SAN FRANCISCO - Despite the rain in San Francisco on Thursday, it was a busy day for many businesses now that that Governor Gavin Newsom has dropped the stay-at-home order.
It allows more businesses to reopen. Merchants say it was a long time coming.
For the first time since the latest order was imposed in December, MX3 Fitness in the Castro is able to offer indoor gym services such as personal training. Only three people are allowed inside at a time.
"That gives us hope. Not enough to pay the rent but at least it's going the right way," says Dave Karraker, co-owner of MX3 Fitness.
Nearby at Catch, outdoor dining even on a cold January night is appealing to some.
"Somebody making a delicious meal for me, something different, normalcy returning," says Andy Westley, a patron.
At Louie's Barber Shop, owner Martin Mendoza says there were customers waiting to get in as soon as he opened in the morning.
Given that it was raining and with so many people still waiting for the Covid-19 vaccine, he says he was surprised by the demand.
"It gives me hope. We have bills to pay, the rent and all that," says Mendoza.
One client says he tried to book an appointment online in the morning, but there was a two hour wait.
He was able to get an appointment in the afternoon.
"I can totally see this get shut down two weeks from now so I'm getting my hair cut while I can," says Parth Patil of San Francisco.
At Senor Sisig in the Mission, the restaurant will continue to serve take-out only for now.
Owner Evan Kidera shows a KTVU crew the retractable awning in his back patio that was installed shortly before the pandemic shutdown last March.
He says he hasn't used it yet and he's not ready to offer outdoor dining.
"We're going to wait. We're just going to wait a little bit for the patio in the back until we feel more comfortable," says Kidera.
Manny Yekutiel of Manny's Cafe and other merchants on Valencia street launched an online fund raiser for their lights project to bring foot traffic to the area.
The plan is to string up lights from light poles along a ten block span from 14th Street to 24th Street.
"We are doing everything we can right now to prepare for the renaissance that is going to be coming to our city in the near future," says Yekutiel.
Valencia Street merchants hope to raise $39,600 for the lights project installation and initial maintenance.
If all goes as planned, the lights could be up by March and they will be permanent.