Next Wednesday two of the three East Cobb restaurants run by Doug Turbush—Seed Kitchen and Bar at Merchant’s Walk and the Drift Fish House and Oyster Bar at The Avenue—will be reopening, but not their dining rooms.
Seed, Drift and the Stem Wine Bar adjacent to Seed have been closed entirely since March 17.
In a message issued Friday, Turbush said Seed and Drift will reopen with limited hours, from Wednesday-Sunday from 5-9 p.m., and with only takeout/pickup/delivery service available.
There are new takeout menus that have been prepared, including some offerings from Stem, with appetizers and family meals that can be ordered. A statement issued by Turbush’s publicists didn’t indicate when dining room service would resume, but he did say this:
“We have been working diligently to reopen in a way that is both safe and responsible and in the best interest of our employees, guests and community. Our entire team appreciates the support we’ve received over the last two months, and we can’t wait to be back in the kitchen and serving guests in our neighborhood again.”
Diners can call ahead starting at 12 noon at Seed at 678-214-6888 and at Drift at 770-635-7641. Delivery is available via DoorDash.
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Commissioner Bob Ott of East Cobb is proposing that $50 million of the $132.6 million in federal Coronavirus-related stimulus funding the county is getting be used to help small businesses get back on their feet.
He’s proposed a spending measure to be considered at Tuesday’s regular business meeting that would call for the creation of an independent body to select the businesses receiving the assistance and for the Cobb Chamber of Commerce to administer the grants, which are provided through the federal CARES Act.
Eligible businesses would have 100 or fewer employees and may not have received previous funding from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) or Small Business Administration loans available through the CARES Act.
In addition, 60 percent of the grant money for each small business must go toward hiring or maintaining employees. The businesses cannot be publicly traded and must have a primary or branch location in Cobb County.
The amount of funding selected businesses would receive including the following:
The Chamber would receive $500,000 of stimulus funds to administer the grants, which would be selected evenly across the four commissioners districts by a committee chosen by commissioners and the Chamber.
Ott also has proposed spending $1.5 million in CARES Act money for eviction relief that would be administered through Star-C Communities, an Atlanta based non-profit that works to reduce transiency in affordable housing communities.
The organization would receive $120,000 to administer the assistance program. As drawn up in the proposal, low-income apartment dwellers facing evictions would receive a “scholarship” of up to 70 percent of their overdue payment total. The remaining 20 percent would be paid by the tenant and the landlord would be asked to pay the remaining 10 percent and waive the late fee.
Those items will come up for consideration after a related measure asking commissioners to designate several categories for spending the federal stimulus funding.
They include the following:
Disaster Relief/County Preparedness
Economic Development/Business Loans
Emergency Food Program
Emergency Shelter Program
School Assistance Programs
Job Training
County Contingency
Commissioners could add and change the categories at a later time. Last week they approved the first amount of CARES Act funding, $1 million in reimbursements for non-profit agencies like MUST Ministries that have been providing emergency food aid to those in need.
This Tuesday’s meeting starts at a special time, 1:30 p.m., and this will be a virtual meeting streamed on the county’s YouTube and Facebook pages and Website as well as the Cobb TV23 public access cable channel on Comcast.
Public comment also is available and those who wish to take part by phone or computer must sign up at this link.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
We’re starting another updated list of business reopenings—mostly restaurants but any others—as more dining rooms start to welcome guests.
Kathyrn Brown at Willie Jewell’s Old School Bar-B-Q (2550 Sandy Plains Road) checked in to say the dining room has reopened at a reduced capacity, and that they’re staffing up for Memorial Day and catering for home graduation parties, etc.
All locations of Moxie Burger and Moxie Taco are open for dining room service for lunch only for now, also with limited tables for social distancing reasons. When you order to eat in (they encourage you to call in ahead of time), you’ll get your food and drinks in to-go containers.
Dinner hours (4 p.m.-close) are remaining takeout/curbside, and reopening “will depend largely on the success of the guidelines being followed during lunch.” The new hours are Sunday–Thursday 11 – 8; Friday—Saturday 11– 8:30.
Paradise Grille (3605 Sandy Plains Road) reopened for dinner Monday and continues takeout/curbside/pickup. The hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m., and the kitchen closes at 9 p.m.
Fuji Hana East Cobb (1255 Johnson Ferry) has reopened for lunch (11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) and dinner 4:30-10 p.m., takeout/delivery) 678-570-8071;
Open for dining room takeout/curbside/delivery is Hong Kong Star(4719 Lower Roswell Road), which has removed tables to meet social distancing guidelines.
Bay Breeze Seafood (2418 Canton Road) has reopened, and is offering dining room, patio and curbside/takeout service.
A restaurant that has been closed since the COVID-19 outbreak is Stockyard Burgers and Bones at The Avenue East Cobb (4475 Roswell Road), which is now open again for dining room service from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Curbside pickup and takeout service is still available.
Send Us Your News!
If you have Coronavirus-related event changes, business openings or closings to share with the public, e-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
Contact us at the same e-mail address for news about efforts to assist those in need, health care workers, first responders and others on the frontlines of combatting Coronavirus in East Cobb.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Half Price Books is continuing curbside pickup service while allowing customers back inside on a limited basis.
Earlier this week we updated some dining room reopenings at East Cobb restaurants and for the next few days will be adding to this post about other business reopenings, changes in hours and services, etc.
Pam Kirby at Half Price Books got in touch to say that the store at Woodlawn Square Shopping Center that has been closed to in-store browsing has reopened to customers to browse and shop inside.
Those hours are limited to 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; they’re still taking advance orders for curbside pickup as they’ve been doing for several weeks now.
The Bookmiser store at 3822 Roswell Road has been open all along for inside shopping and curbside pickup, and provides shoppers with hand sanitizers upon entry. Some of the live events that have been planned are being rescheduled virtually, and the link has more details.
The Book Exchange at 2932 Canton Road is open and is also conducting author interviews and book club events via Zoom; details at its Facebook Page, as well as info about a GoFundMe drive that’s ongoing.
The Book Nook Marietta at 1547 Roswell Road announced this week it’s a couple weeks away from from reopening.
More salons and personal care businesses are starting to reopen, following some revisions to the statewide executive order.
Nancy’s Salonreopened earlier this week at Merchant’s Walk, and is strongly encouraging appointment business only and is telling customers they must wear face masks.
Orangetheory Fitness at Merchants Festival announced it’s reopening soon and is booking classes.
Send Us Your News!
If you have Coronavirus-related event changes, business openings or closings to share with the public, e-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
Contact us at the same e-mail address for news about efforts to assist those in need, health care workers, first responders and others on the frontlines of combatting Coronavirus in East Cobb.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
We’re keeping track of a flurry of announcements by East Cobb businesses in recent days about their reopening plans, and in the case of restaurants, the return of dining-room service.
Among those restaurants allowing you to dine in now is Taqueria Tsunami on Johnson Ferry Road, where the patio also is open, as of today (Thursday).
Like many restaurants that are allowing customers to eat-in, management posted the following safety/sanitation measures it is undertaking, noting it’s also trained staff on the new procedures:
Continuous and routine hourly sanitizing/cleaning of all highly trafficked and touched areas of the restaurant (from bar tops down to all door handles)
Provide masks and gloves for team members
Team member wellness screen every shift
Encourage guests to wear masks and practice social distancing while in the restaurant
Limited our seating capacity, as required by state regulation, to ensure social distancing and capacity limits are met
Use of disposable, one-time use menus
Removal of salt and pepper shakers and condiments from the tables (available upon request, and sanitized after use)
Added antibacterial stations for our team and guests
Focus on sanitation and cleanliness during our shift staff meetings to promote the importance of rigorous hand washing procedures
Encouraging customers, vendors and team members to remain home if showing any sign of illness or being in contact with someone who has the virus.
Ted’s Montana Grill at Parkaire Landing Shopping Center also has opened up its dining room, starting at 11:30 a.m. daily.
A few other restaurants of note are taking additional steps before fully reopening.
Paradise South of the Border (Highland Plaza Shopping Center) will be opening its dining room and the patio for limited dine-in starting Monday, May 18 but for now the Paradise Grille dining room is remaining closed, and is being used for curbside pick up only
The Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant at East Lake is expanding its hours, but only for takeout and curbside: Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Monday-Friday 5-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 5-10:30 p.m.; Sunday 4-10 p.m.; plans are to reopen the dining room in a couple of weeks.
Send Us Your News!
If you have Coronavirus-related event changes, business openings or closings to share with the public, e-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
Contact us at the same e-mail address for news about efforts to assist those in need, health care workers, first responders and others on the frontlines of combatting Coronavirus in East Cobb.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
A new Cobb-based campaign has launched to help restaurants struggling with business loss because of COVID-19. Sterling Seacrest Partners, a Cobb risk management and insurance brokerage firm, is working with Atlanta businesses to “Take Out the Virus” (www.takeoutthevirusATL.com). Area businesses are pledging to support local restaurants, helping restaurant employees and their families.
Here is how it works, Sterling Seacrest Partners has pledged to pay for take-out orders purchased at area restaurants. The firm will give each of its 150 employees $50 for ordering take-out from a local restaurant. They will give employees $100 if the employee orders from a restaurant that is also a Sterling Seacrest client.
“We thought this was a great concept because it aligned so closely with our core values to support our team members, our clients and our community,” says Garry Hill of Sterling Seacrest Partners. “We are fortunate to live in such an incredible city for food. These restaurants are an integral part of the fabric of our community. As a firm, we felt like we needed to do something and not just at home and watch.”
Sterling Seacrest is challenging other Atlanta area businesses to support area restaurants by sponsoring a night of ordering in to help Take Out the Virus.
Several businesses have already signed up, including Benedetti Gucer & Associates, a wealth management firm, Piedmont Pediatrics, and Leff & Associates Public Relations.
For Piedmont Pediatrics, the doctors wanted to support their people who have been working straight through the pandemic crisis and to support the restaurant community around the hospital.
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Since the Taste of East Cobb was cancelled this month due to COVID-19, organizers of the food festival have been busy with an alternative they announced on Monday.
They’re calling it the Taste of Takeout East Cobb, and on Saturday, May 23, during the Memorial Day weekend, they want you to order takeout from local restaurants to help them get back on their feet. From the announcement:
“This effort is our way of showing our love for the many local restaurants and businesses who have supported #TOEC over the years…and long into the future.
Here’s David Wilson, the Taste of East Cobb 2020 co-chair:
“We know that our East Cobb restaurants and businesses are hurting as a result of the COVID–19 pandemic. Ordering a take–out meal for the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend is an easy way to help your neighbor and show how much you appreciate the businesses that have helped make East Cobb what it is today.”
The other co-chair, Amy Davies, says the new name is a temporary one, in light of the special circumstances of the time.
“Dealing with the pandemic doesn‘t have to mean eating the same boring home–cooked meals over and over again. This is a great time to order something new and try an East Cobb restaurant or shop you may not have visited before.”
Any restaurant or business seeking a mention from the Taste of East Cobb can contact either Wilson orDavies at tasteofeastcobb@gmail.com.
The organizers have started doing those promos on their social media feeds already, including sponsors of the cancelled festival.
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Over the weekend the owners of Sandy Plains Marketplace announced that the Publix GreenWise Market does now have an opening date:
It’s June 17, and Orkin and Associates also noted in a social media posting that other shops and restaurants will soon be “filling the few vacant spaces that are left.” The message didn’t indicate any specifics.
The GreenWise organic foods and products store will be the first for Publix in Georgia, and it was to have opened in April.
But those plans were put on hold in the wake of COVID-19, and those businesses that had been open went into limited operations.
Among those is a newly opened Clean Juice store, which announced last week it’s fully opening on May 19.
We’re working to get more details on some of those businesses that had been planning March openings, including the First Watch breakfast-lunch eatery. It’s part of a national chain and most of its outlets were temporarily closed on April 13.
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A few more restaurants in East Cobb are opening up their dining rooms, or announcing they will be soon, since we noted a few last week that had opened their doors or would be soon.
On Wednesday, Eggs Up Grill (4401 Shallowford Road) is reopening its dining room for its usual breakfast-lunch hours from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The Wing Cafe & Tap House (2145 Roswell Road) is reopening its dining room and starting up takeout/curbside with a limited menu. No specials will be offered for the time being, 770-509-9464;
The Mellow Mushroom on Johnson Ferry is still doing takeout/pickup/delivery for now, but is planning to reopen its dining room next Monday, May 11 with limited seating due to social distancing guidelines.
A few doors down, East Cobb Tavern reopened Monday and will be open from 3-8 p.m. for dining room and curbside service.
Last Monday, Suburban Tap reopened its dining room and will allow only 10 patrons per square foot and dining parties of six people or less per table. Salad bar and buffet service are discontinued for the time being.
Among the first East Cobb restaurants to reopen its dining room was Bradley’s Bar & Grill on Lower Roswell Road.
Other business reopenings
East Cobb Family Dentistry (2969 Johnson Ferry Road) reopened on Monday, and is now booking appointments for the week of May 11, 770-913-6800;
The Credit Union of Georgia (1020 Johnson Ferry Road) has reopened its lobby for appointment service only (along with continuing drive-thru service) Monday–Friday from 8 a.m. to 5pm and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.;
The Eurocar auto repair shop (4696 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 100) is open Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6pm and Friday from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 770-565-7070;
Lenox Chem-Dry (3020 Canton Road, Suite 110) cleans and sanitizes carpet, upholstery and tile, 770-419-1788.
Send Us Your News!
If you have Coronavirus-related event changes, business openings or closings to share with the public, e-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
Contact us at the same e-mail address for news about efforts to assist those in need, health care workers, first responders and others on the frontlines of combatting Coronavirus in East Cobb.
The Cobb Chamber, in collaboration with health and community leaders, has released a compilation of guidelines to assist businesses in their efforts to safely reopen as the state moves toward economic recovery. The guidelines are available at https://covidsupport.cobbchamber.org/covid-19-resources.
“We’ve heard from businesses across different industries that this would be helpful for them and we really appreciate the work of our taskforce to put this together,” said Sharon Mason, president & CEO of the Cobb Chamber. “This guide is to provide tips and tools to help businesses be prepared to reopen in a safe way for their employees and customers. Additionally, our recent webinars have and will continue to focus on helping businesses be prepared to reopen safely.”
The guidelines deliver public health protocol for companies to consider as they prepare their own plans for a phased reopening and a reintroduction of staff and customers to their establishment. Topics covered in the guidelines include preparing your workforce and workspace and information on mitigating the spread of the virus. The guidelines take into consideration daily health tests, sanitization, reconfiguring the workspace to allow for social distancing, and a number of other recommendations on how their space could be reimagined to be as safe as possible for employees and visitors.
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Employees at Frenchie’s Modern Nail Care in East Cobb prepare for a new way of doing business. (ECN photos)
When she opened her nail salon in the Shallowford Falls Shopping Center last August, Rhoda Gunnigle told customers that “We Love Clean.”
That’s the slogan for Frenchie’s Modern Nail Care, and Gunnigle, as a newly-minted franchisee of the national company, earnestly meant to live up to it.
She’s had to stress that message even more, and have her staff take even greater hygiene measures, as her shop reopened Friday after a six-week closure due to the Coronavirus crisis.
Frenchie’s East Cobb owner Rhoda Gunnigle goes over new safety measures with her staff.
Salons like hers were allowed to open last Friday by Gov. Brian Kemp, but Gunnigle wanted to take extra time to train her staff to meet extensive new requirements.
She also wanted to gauge the willingness of customers to patronize a business in a “personal touch” industry that’s been caught in the crossfire over how much reopening should be allowed as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take a toll.
“We have some [customers] who have been so supportive,” Gunnigle said Thursday, taking a break from final preparations. “And there are others who are not ready yet, and that’s understandable.”
Georgia’s reopening has been criticized in national media and by public health officials, and Gunnigle said she understands the concerns.
But she has her own. Like many business owners, she filed right away in March for federal relief under the Paycheck Protection Program, and earlier this week finally got the loan money. Under the PPP, employers must spend at least 75 percent of the money on payroll, or the loan will not be forgiven.
Gunnigle said she’s going to use all of it to pay her employees, while she scrambles to pay her landlord and meet other financial obligations. She got a six-month reprieve on her Small Business Association loan she used to start the business, and that’s helped.
Frenchie’s employees were busy cleaning and disinfecting nearly every surface of the salon before it reopened.
She said she’s glad she waited to reopen at least for a few days, and understands why some people don’t want to get their nails done, or hair cut, for now.
“But if you wait until it’s too comfortable, it may be too late,” Gunnigle said, speaking from a business owner’s perspective.
“How can you wait while while expenses pile up? With the rent due, I didn’t feel I had much of a choice.”
Frenchie’s is doing a slow reopening, available for now only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and by appointment only.
She’s not allowing walk-ins, and anyone coming through the front door—even the mailman—is asked questions about international travel, possible exposure to the virus, and more.
Gunnigle is acting as the front desk receptionist, using only three staffers at a time, instead of the typical six. They all must wear masks, which are optional for customers.
Guests must wash their hands and practice social distancing. Clear plastic screens shield customers and employees alike.
After guests leave following a “touchless checkout,” the area where they sat, including their chairs, is fully disinfected. Disposable items are promptly tossed away.
Gunnigle said she’s going beyond the state-issued mandates, including those from the Georgia State Board of Cosmetologists and Barbers, which also regulates nail salons. She feels confident that she and her workers are as prepared as they can be.
She says that “I feel as safe in here as I do at home” and understands that some may think that getting a manicure isn’t the most important thing in the world right now. “But there are people who want to come back the safe way.”
Cobb commissioner Bob Ott stopped by Intrigue Salon, which also has reopened on Johnson Ferry Road (Photo courtesy Intrigue Salon).
Owner Jeff South also was waiting for delivery of Synexis, which is described as a “biodefense technology to mitigate infectious microorganisms.”
It’s similar to the technology used to clean and disinfect schools, hospitals and restaurants. Synexis produces hydrogen peroxide in the same physical state as the oxygen and nitrogen in the air, and the molecule is known as Dry Hydrogen Peroxide (DHP).
South said his salon is the first in the world to to install Synexis, and that it’s effective against airborne and surface viruses, bacteria and fungi.
Intrigue also is limiting customers to only those with appointments. Customers must also wear masks, and although gloves are optional their hands must be washed.
They also will be asked health questions by stylists, who are sanitizing chairs and their work stations after every customer, who will have a clean cape and clean tools.
Intrigue also is not blow-drying hair for now, but is offering a free serum treatment before guests leave.
Those measures, like those undertaken by other salons, are a blend of hygiene and the pragmatism prompted by social distancing.
While a number of “personal touch” businesses are waiting a while longer, Rhoda Gunnigle of Frenchie’s says “we can’t stay home forever. The economy cannot continue to be shut down.”
Among her first customers this weekend is her mother, who lives in the North Georgia mountains and whom she hasn’t seen for nearly two months because of social distancing.
As a business owner who felt the initial shutdowns nearly cast a fatal blow to her enterprise, Gunnigle said “I’m still not out of the woods.”
Reopening her nail salon—if only for a few days at a time, and far from full operations—”is a risk, but as a business owner you have to take some risks.”
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The retail center’s management on Friday released a partial list of its tenants who’ve opened up their doors, with this caveat:
“The well-being, health and safety of you and the community is our #1 priority. We recommend all guest adhere to the CDC and the State of Georgia’s guidelines when visiting.
“Please note some retailers remain closed at this time while others hours vary. We recommend that you contact your favorite retailer for their current hours and any restrictions they may have in place (curbside pickup, appointment only etc.) prior to visiting.”
The stores that are open now include the following, and they include some that have stayed open:
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
With Georgia’s shelter-in-place order expected to expire later today, and as selected businesses are allowed to reopen, we’re updating what’s opening and what’s staying closed for now in East Cobb.
We’ll be adding to this during the day, so let us know your status. E-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
Williamson Bros BBQ on Roswell Road has been fully closed, but announced this morning it’s open as of today for drive-thru service only, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call 770-071-3201 to order in advance. They’ve been testing this approach at other locations and the dining room is still closed.
Chicago’s Steak and Seafood, at Shallowford Corners, had been closed completely but is now resuming dining room service for dinner. Proprietor Mark Zwolak said during the closure the restaurant underwent a full deep cleaning and some renovations and is taking extra safety precautions, including use of “a non-contact infrared thermometer to screen the temperatures of our employees and patrons.”
A few doors down, East Cobb Tavern is reopening Monday and will be open from 3-8 p.m. for dining room and curbside service. It was open only a few weeks after being rebranded from Keegan’s Pub, and has been closed completely since mid-March.
The Eggs Up Grill, also at Shallowford Corners, has been fully closed for a couple of weeks, after trying pickup/takeout/delivery. Management announced Wednesday the dining room is reopening in seven days, after saying over the weekend it would hold off despite the governor’s reopening plans. “We will be adhering to all safety guidelines for social distancing, sanitation etc. We look forward to get back to serving the community we so love! It has been too long!” was Wednesday’s message.
On Monday, Suburban Tap reopened its dining room and will allow only 10 patrons per square foot and dining parties of six people or less per table. Salad bar and buffet service are discontinued for the time being.
Most restaurants in East Cobb that are open are limiting their operations to pickup/takeout/delivery for now, even though they could open their dining rooms on Monday.
Hair and nail salons, barber shops and other “personal touch” businesses were allowed to open on Friday, and a few are doing so (more in-depth on a few of those in another post) very gradually.
Nancy’s Salon on Johnson Ferry Road said Wednesday it would be reopening on May 12. The day before, on May 11, Zeba Hair Salon is reopening at Merchant’s Festival.
Some pet-related businesses have closed and a few will be opening up again soon. Haven, The Dog Spot is aiming for a May 11 “business almost as usual” reopening date, and has detailed its safety protocols.
Likewise at Hot Dogs, Cool Cats at Paper Mill Village, a pet spa and grooming boutique that also is shooting for May 11 to open back up.
Most of the gyms and fitness centers in East Cobb that also have been allowed to reopen remain closed, at least for now, and are offering virtual classes.
Some medical offices are starting to reopen. One is East Cobb Foot and Ankle Care, which is requiring all patients to wear masks or a face covering and will be checking temperatures.
Carwash USA at East Cobb Crossing is reopening on Thursday, but in a limited mode. No more than two customers will be allowed in the indoor waiting room at any given time, although there is outdoor seating as well.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
The Cobb Chamber, in partnership with web developer DynamiX, has launched a redesigned COVID-19 resources site for business owners, community leaders and anyone impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Covidsupport.cobbchamber.org includes resources and information on the CARES Act federal stimulus, reopening guidelines, upcoming Cobb Chamber webinars and learning opportunities, a list of companies that are currently hiring, among many other resources. The redesigned site also promotes businesses and initiatives, including the donation-driven Operation Meal Plan, Cobb Shops To Go, Thank a Healthcare Hero, and more. The website also provides up-to-date content as news develops and as needs are realized throughout our community.
“The Cobb Chamber has been focused on providing resources, advocacy and support to help our businesses and community through this difficult time,” said Sharon Mason, Cobb Chamber President & CEO. “With the redesign of our COVID-19 website, we’re able to take our support one step further by helping you quickly find the resources you need. We will continue working with our many partners and our Economic Recovery Taskforce to drive initiatives that will lead to our community’s recovery.”
One of the core tenants of the Cobb Chamber’s mission is to aid entrepreneurs and small businesses—and drive community and economic development. By hosting a wealth of resources on a single lightweight, responsive site, the Chamber can offer a one-stop-shop experience for every sector of the community that has been impacted by COVID-19.
DynamiX, a Kennesaw-based web design company, built out the site free of charge for the Cobb Chamber. Aiming to highlight organizations standing up for their employees, community and other businesses, DynamiX provided covidsupport.cobbchamber.org as a public service to the Cobb Chamber in order to promote positivity and awareness in their community.
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Bradley’s Bar and Grill is reopening its dining room while maintaining takeout/pickup/delivery service. (ECN photo)
Following up an earlier post from this week about the reluctance of East Cobb restaurant owners to fully reopen, including dining room service:
Not many will be doing that when they’re allowed to do so on Monday, per Gov. Brian Kemp’s reopening provisions.
(There are 39 guidelines that restaurants must follow under Kemp’s Reviving a Healthy Georgia Order that he issued on Thursday.)
Bradley’s Bar & Grill on Lower Roswell Road indicated it will be opening its dining room Monday, “with restrictions,” and “will follow the strict guidelines for social distancing and have already begun to remove chairs and bar stools.”
Bradley’s will continue takeout, curbside and delivery service and online ordering, as many restaurants have been doing since the state’s shelter-in-place order went into effect earlier this month.
All of the Ted’s Montana Grill locations—including the East Cobb restaurant at Parkaire Landing—have been completely closed since the shutdown began.
Ted’s CEO co-founder George McKerrow sent out a note Friday that its dining rooms will remain closed for now, but that it also will begin curbside pickup on Monday, with more details to come.
“While the Governor has allowed restaurants to open their dining rooms, we do not feel it is safe for our Team Members and Guests,” McKerrow said. “We look forward to the day we can experience made-from-scratch food in a great atmosphere together again. Until then, be safe and see you soon.”
A number of the restaurants we’ve listed in our East Cobb Open for Business Directory are going to continue some combination of takeout/pickup/delivery without opening up their dining rooms for the time being. They include:
AJ’s Seafood and Po’Boys
Camps Kitchen & Bar
Lucia’s Italian Restaurant
Mellow Mushroom Johnson Ferry
Mezza Luna Seafood & Pasta
Paradise Grille
Rosa’s Pizza
Tijuana Joe’s
We’ll be updating this list as restaurants and businesses begin changing their service; please pass along your updates to: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll note that in this and future posts as well as our directory.
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Katy Colvin and Kesha Darji, owners of the K Squared Artisan Boutique at The Avenue East Cobb, have begun a fundraiser to purchase wellness gifts for healthcare workers and to support the work of their fellow artisans.
Colvin sent along word to East Cobb News that the gifts will be distributed to workers at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital and the WellStar North Fulton Hospital. Details here:
“Donations will be collected through the GoFundMe website at www.gf.me/u/xx5ipu. One donation of $10 will go towards a wellness gift valued at $12 to $20. Not only will this donation provide a gift for a local healthcare worker to show that the community supports them, but the money will also be used to purchase gifts made by local artisans to help them deal with the financial impacts of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.”
Katy further says that “it’s a rewarding situation for both sides. So many artists have been impacted by the cancellation of art shows and were forced to close their doors, leaving them without anyway to earn income. Doctors, nurses, and hospital staff are the real action heroes of the crisis and we have the opportunity to lift their spirits and show them we care. We are hoping that this can do a little bit to help.“
She said the GoFundMe fundraiser has raised over $1,000 with a goal to raise $10,000 to provide 1,000 wellness gifts for both hospitals.
The gifts will be distributed next week and another fundraiser may begin soon to extend the gift-buying program.
She said some of the artisanal businesses they sell include, but are not limited to:
Regina’s Farm Kitchen
The Toasted Nut
Jack Be Nimble
LRW Designs
Elizabeth Matthews Designs
The Sassy Buck
Lexicon of Love
True & Radient
Iron Angel
Stoneridge Foods
“It’s hard to choose though. We love all our artisans we sell and they are just great people who are so passionate about what they do! They are all small local businesses and we adore them all!”
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Even though they’ve been given permission to reopen in the next few days, some businesses and restaurants in East Cobb that have been closed due to shelter-in-place orders will wait to resume their full operations.
Among those staying closed for the time being are Seed Kitchen & Bar, Stem Wine Bar and Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar.
In a message to customers sent out Tuesday afternoon, owner Doug Turbush said that while Gov. Brian Kemp’s order lifting mandatory dining room closures of restaurants “is an encouraging sign, we feel it is not in the best interest of our employees, guests or our community to reopen at this time.”
Turbush completely closed all three of his restaurants on March 17, before Kemp restricted restaurants to takeout, delivery and pickup services only.
In his message, Turbush said the timing of reopening depends on getting safety gear, supplies and guidance “on how we can operate and interact with each other in such close proximity. We want nothing more than to open our dining rooms, provide for the people who work with us and get back to what we do best, but service considerations will take time to develop, implement and train.”
On Monday, Kemp said restaurants that meet a list of safety, hygiene and social-distancing criteria can reopen this coming Monday, April 27. The governor will provide more details for restaurants later this week.
Some restaurants that had prioritized dining room service had to adapt to the new measures. One of them, Brewsters Neighborhood Bar & Grille on Canton Road, also said Tuesday it would not be opening its dining room back up for now.
“We apologize, but we feel that this is the right decision at this time. We miss all of you very much and can’t wait to see everyone again soon!” the restaurant said in a social media message, adding that its curbside to go service would continue through May 1.
Kemp’s new measures will allow nail and hair salons, gyms and other “personal touch” businesses he closed last month to reopen on Friday, also if they meet safety criterial.
The new Spenga gym at Merchant’s Walk won’t be one of them. A message yesterday said that “we will not be opening at this time as we feel it is too soon. Your health and that of the staff is our top priority.”
Spenga, which shut its doors March 16, is also eyeing a May 1 reopen date, but that is tentative. Like many gyms and fitness facilities that have been closed, it has been conducting virtual classes and workouts with its clients.
Some businesses haven’t announced reopening dates as they prepare their staff and juggle schedules and appointments.
Among them is Intrigue Salon, which we profiled last week. After Kemp’s announcement Monday, the Johnson Ferry Road establishment said Monday that it will be opening again soon, but “we need to get the needed safety supplies and products to be up and running. . . . We have many procedures to implement before we start booking to keep everyone safe.”
Nancy’s Salon asked its clients to “please be patient with us as we organize our schedules, get the needed supplies, products and have safety measures to go get us started,” and that it would provide an update on its reopening date.
Tracy Kreiner Barnes, owner of The French Table, a furnishings and home decor store on Lower Roswell Road, said she would reopen “when the local CDC advises that it is safe for all of us,” and she will “personally monitor” what doctors and scientists recommend.
She ended her message to customers with the hashtag #livesbeforeeconomy.
The current Georgia shelter-in-place order expires on April 30, and a statewide public health emergency has been extended to May 13.
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Seed Kitchen & Bar closed on March 17, before Gov. Brian Kemp ordered restaurants to discontinue dining room service. (ECN photo0
Gov. Brian Kemp said Monday that some businesses in Georgia that have been ordered closed under his Coronovirus shelter-in-place order can reopen as soon as Friday if they meet certain safety guidelines.
Those businesses include hair salons, barber shops, bowling alleys, nail and body art service providers, massage therapists and gyms.
Starting Monday, theaters can reopen, and restaurants can serve in their dining rooms. Bars, nightclubs, amusement parks and live performance venues will remain closed for now.
Places of worship can hold in-person services, but they must be done “in accordance with strict social distancing protocols.”
Kemp held a briefing Monday at the Georgia Capitol with Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and House Speaker Dennis Ralston.
He said his decision to relax business closures was “due to favorable data and more testing” but that it will not be “business as usual” for those businesses that do reopen.
Among the factors Kemp referenced were the availability of hospital and intenstive-care beds—including a temporary hospital at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta—as well as increased testing capability in the state.
At Jim Miller Park in Cobb County, people no longer have to have a medical referral but they must have an appointment for a drive-up Coronavirus test if they show symptoms.
“Our small business owners are seeing sales plummet, and the company that they built with blood, sweat, and tears disappear right before them,” Kemp said. “These are tough moments in our state and nation. I hear the concerns of those I am honored to serve.”
Kemp said that all businesses that decide to reopen must meet “Minimum Basic Operation” criteria, including screening workers for fever and respiratory illnesses, wearing masks and gloves if appropriate, maintaining social distancing guidelines of six feet between persons and working in staggered shifts.
Restaurants, theaters and private social clubs must also meet the same social distancing and sanitation mandates in order to open on Monday.
“Unlike other businesses, these entities have been unable to manage inventory, deal with payroll, and take care of administrative items while we shelter in place,” the governor said.
Kemp’s shelter-in-place continues through April 30, and those who are sick or medically fragile should stay at home until May 13, when a statewide public health emergency is set to expire.
Some East Cobb “personal touch” businesses—in particular hair salons—have been telling their customers that when they reopen, all staff and customers will be required to wear masks.
Not long after Kemp’s announcement, East Cobb Barber Shop owner Dee Reitz said her store is opening Friday at 9:30 a.m. “with all hands on on deck!!”
She said customers will be given numbers to maintain social distancing edicts, and no more than six customers will be allowed inside at any time.
“PLEASE bear with us as we figure this out!! We are excited to be able to re-open,” she said on her business’ Facebook page.
Frenchie’s Modern Nail Care on Johnson Ferry Road said it also would reopen on Friday “with stringent protocols and only two guests at a time.”
Management at the East Cobb-McCleskey Family YMCA and Northeast Cobb YMCA branches said it was “carefully considering all the health and safety precautions and guidelines” to determine when they may reopen.
“We look forward to being able to open our facilities to our members as soon as we can ensure that it is safe to do so.”
Kemp said local governments cannot enact measures that are any more or less restrictive than what he is allowing to open back up for now.
“The private sector is going to have to convince the public that it’s safe to come back into these businesses,” he said.
As for churches, synagogues and other faith communities, Kemp said he’s urging them to continue to hold virtual worship events, as many have since early March.
In-person services were never prohibited, although they were limited to no more than 10 people following social distancing measures.
On Monday, Kemp said that “I urge faith leaders to continue to help us in this effort and keep their congregations safe by heeding the advice of public health officials. Of course, online, call-in, or drive-in services remain good options for religious institutions.”
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Like restaurants everywhere since the Coronavirus outbreak, the ubiquitous 24/7 Waffle House enterprise has had to scramble to accommodate mandatory dining-room closures and shelter-in-place orders while trying to stay in business.
After the Norcross-based company temporarily closed more than 600 restaurants—an unprecedented action in an unprecedented time—those that have remained open have a much smaller window of operations and staff.
There are nine Waffle Houses in the East Cobb area, and they’re all open for now, albeit with limited hours, typically from early in the morning to mid-afternoon.
The Waffle House on Sandy Plains Road at Post Oak Tritt Road is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and with barely a skeleton crew, consisting of manager Nancy Lynne Newton and three servers.
That’s it.
“I’m the cook, and on my days off, I volunteer to cook,” Newton said.
All of her workers on the second and third shifts—evenings and overnights—are on unemployment, at the very least until restaurants can resume some semblance of dining-room service.
Newton doesn’t know when that might be. Georgia’s shelter-in-place order limiting restaurants to takeout, pickup and delivery only has been extended to April 30, and the state’s public health emergency is due to expire on May 13.
Those orders could be extended again, as the state grapples with a COVID-19 caseload that’s approaching 20,000 and nearing 700 deaths.
At the Sandy Plains Road Waffle House, business “has definitely gone down,” Newton said.
“We are remaining optimistic. We’re doing everything we can to work with the community, and to keep our doors open.”
As an example of the former, she said some customers have donated to an “Adopt-A-Hero” program set up by Waffle House, to pay for the meals of medical workers and first responders.
Recently a police officer was a beneficiary of that generosity, and picked up a free meal—to go, of course.
“We want to do anything we can to help people like that,” Newton said.
Letting the public know her restaurant is open has been a big challenge. The parking lot is practically empty, but makeshift signs in the windows alert the public about its opening hours and the phone number to place an advance order.
Newton said customers can do that, or they can show up and order while in the store. The full menu also is available.
The store also has family-oriented specials—4 All-Star Special breakfasts and hashbrown bowls for $30 is just one. And if five families or more from a neighborhood get together and order at once, someone from Waffle House management will provide delivery.
Newton said to address safety and hygiene concerns, all caterings are individually wrapped. The restaurant is thoroughly cleaned “every hour on the hour” and after customers leave.
She said customers “have been absolutely phenomenal” about observing social distancing guidelines” while they are inside.
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When customers pulled into the Intrigue Salon parking lot on Johnson Ferry Road Saturday morning to pick up their supply of hair-care products, they were greeted by staffers wearing masks and bunny ears.
On the day before Easter, the playful gestures meant to encourage a sense of fun blended in with the somber new realities of the post-COVID-19 world.
Staff placed the products in the popped-up trunks of customers, who then drove away, all in the no-contact fashion that’s becoming the new normal for many businesses these days.
“We tell them this is for your temporary fix,” said Bonnie Bonadeo, Intrigue’s marketing director.
Like most “personal touch” businesses in Georgia—hair salons, barber shops, nail salons and spas—Intrigue has been closed to regular business for the better part of the last month.
In that time, owner Jeff South and his staff have held a few Saturday curbside pickup sessions for customers who order in advance.
It’s not just a way for Intrigue to do a spare bit of business for the time being, but for its clients to stay in touch, and do what they can until they’re allowed to come back in for a haircut and other hair treatments.
“We pride ourselves in our license to touch, but we can’t do that at all right now,” Bonadeo said.
She said for the two hours of the curbside pickup service, around 50 to 60 customers have come by.
They order their products—powders, conditioners and foams, for the most part—online. They’re not being sold anything that’s not advisable for them to use at home.
Instead, the daily hair products they take with them are meant to “help people feel better about themselves.”
It’s all part of what Bonadeo said is “making a very simple connection” to a customer base in an intensively customized and personalized industry, and one that’s in a very competitive market in East Cobb.
“For a small business, this is as valid as it can get,” she said.
Future curbside sessions are dictated by having enough customers order online.
Bonadeo also sends out e-mails with a light touch on occasion, another means of maintaining connections.
When a customer sent a note wondering how long the shutdown might last, Bonadeo sent out another e-mail with a giraffe and indicated “this long.”
A statewide shelter-in-place that ordered non-essential businesses closed has been extended by Gov. Brian Kemp at least through April 30.
Some other personal care businesses in East Cobb have tentatively announced reopening dates of May 1. Others are saying for now they may reopen on May 13, when a statewide public health emergency is set to expire.
When does Intrigue open again, Bonadeo said more patience will be necessary for customers. Social distancing guidelines are likely to limit staffing levels and how many customers can be accommodated at any given time.
“The priority is that we have to ensure that people feel safe coming back,” she said. “We all want to believe this is a temporary situation.”
How are you coping?
We’re writing a series of stories about how people in East Cobb are faring during the Coronavirus crisis—business owners, parents homeschooling their kids, personal caregivers, worshipping via Zoom, etc.
Let us know how your daily routine has changed, and what you’re doing during this uncertain time. E-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
