Restaurants face difficult decisions as Texas begins to reopen

MONTROSE (KTRK) -- While restaurants in Texas are now permitted to partially re-open, owners are facing difficult decisions.

La Mexicana in Montrose opened at 25% capacity on May 1st.

"We wanted to give the waiters some hours," explained General Manager Zulema Gonzales. "The wait staff is the one that has been hardest hit, as far as our restaurant goes."

Owners have set up twelve tables and spaced them around the restaurant.

Still, to-go orders are still far more common than dine-in orders.

"Everybody's a little nervous," said Reynoldo Sernil Jr, who dined inside. "We don't want to go out and start reproducing this virus again, but at the same time, we've been so cooped up in the house."

Just down the street, at Sweet Cup Creamery, the owner has made a different decision.

"We're literally rolling down backwards off the hill and it's really hard as a business owner to see that," explained Owner Jasmine Chida.

The state's 25% occupancy restriction means she can only open one table inside her small place.

So, she's sticking to delivery and curbside service for now.

"The restaurant, hospitality industry has suffered way too much for us to just go backwards," Chida said. "I just don't want anybody letting their guards down when they come visit our shop for our staff's safety, which comes first to me."