Wichita chef goes on national radio show to discuss reopening restaurant during COVID-19
A Wichita restaurant owner had a chance to give a Kansas perspective on restaurants reopening during the coronavirus pandemic when he was interviewed on a national radio program on Wednesday morning.
Travis Russell, co-owner of Wichita’s popular Public at the Brickyard, 129 N. Rock Island, was interviewed on the national NPR program “1A” about reopening his restaurant for patio-only dining last weekend.
The show spent the first hour on Wednesday talking to restaurant owners and diners across the country about their comfort level reopening and going back to restaurants
Host Celeste Headlee asked Russell if he felt like reopening his restaurant was “worth it.”
“I’m not sure,” he said. “Yes, I think as a business we have to... to survive, to exist, we’re going to have to do what we can to follow the rules of existing in the marketplace.”
Russell kept his restaurant open for family meals to-go throughout the state stay-at-home order, when restaurants were ordered to keep their dining rooms closed. The order was lifted and restaurants were able to reopen starting on May 4 but Russell and his partners decided to stay closed until last weekend. Now, they’re allowing people to dine only on the spacious Brickyard patio.
Across Wichita, many restaurants have reopened their dining rooms under the state guidelines, spacing out tables and seating parties of no bigger than 10 people.
Some, like Russell, are reopening for outdoor seating only. And some others are still waiting, staying closed completely or continuing with carryout only.
On to the show, Russell said that Sedgwick County had a “relatively low” coronavirus caseload but acknowledged that might be because there isn’t much data from testing here.
“Quite honestly, as I go out to get supplies, I’ve got my mask on, but places I go, not everyone is wearing masks,” he said. “People seem to be somewhat divided on whether they’re participating in some of those suggested protocols of safety or not.”
Russell told the host that he felt he had to get the doors reopened to help support his employees so they can support their families, but he admitted that making decisions during the pandemic was not easy.
“We feel comfortable that if we’re spacing in an outdoor scenario currently under the guidelines that that’s the safest thing we can provide, and so that’s important,” he said.
The broadcast shared calls from listeners across the country, including from many who said they wouldn’t be ready to go to a restaurant to eat again until a coronavirus vaccine was available.
Others said they were ready — past ready — to go back now.
“What would it take for me to go to a restaurant again?” one diner said. “Very simple: An open door and food and drink ready to go. We are among the most sociable creatures on the planet, and this has been like being in solitary confinement. It’s unnatural. I’m ready to go.”
You can hear a replay of the program at the1a.org. Russell’s interview starts at the 12:30 mark.
So what do you think? Have you dined out since restaurants reopened in Wichita? If not, how long will it be until you feel comfortable doing so?
This story was originally published May 20, 2020 at 3:06 PM.
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