“It sounds crazy,” says Humberto Campos Jr, chef/owner of Lorena’s in Maplewood, of his decision today to end indoor dining, “because I was packed this weekend at the allowed 25 percent capacity, even though that’s only about 13, 14 people.
“We’re even turning people away like we used to before the pandemic. But I want to be an advocate for the safety of our community, and if I have to shift my business out of an abundance of caution, so be it.”
As of Wednesday, November 18, Campos says, Lorena’s will be takeout only. “I was talking with Lorena [his wife and business partner] about it the other day, that I feel like Covid is getting closer and closer. I’ve heard that friends have gotten it, that other merchants are quarantining. We take temperatures every day, the staff has been wearing gloves and masks since Day One, before they were mandatory. We’ve been lucky, but we want people to see that we’re taking this seriously.”
As for people who have reservations for the weeks ahead, “We made this decision kind of last minute because of the surge in cases, so we’ll contact them and offer curbside pickup instead.”