BEAUMONT, Texas — Beaumont City Councilman Mike Getz says enforcing guidelines ordered by the governor will be a shared responsibility with the city, but restaurants still need to do their part.
The pandemic turned operations at Republic Chicken upside down.
Owner John Swift says he remembers the day they had to close their doors.
"I do, quite well. It was very painful," Swift said.
On Friday, he says he's ready to cautiously reopen.
"Absolutely. We take the safety of the general public and our guests that we know and love very very seriously," Swift said.
Per state guidelines, they'll only be able to have 25% occupancy inside the dining room.
He says that allows for 40 people in the building, appropriately spaced out.
"It's been an unbelievable struggle. We're off about seventy percent," Swift said.
RELATED: Reopening Texas: Health expert, Jefferson County Judge respond to opening state amid pandemic
RELATED: Retail stores, movie theaters, restaurants and malls able to reopen May 1, Gov. Abbott says
There's no doubt the pandemic has put the economy in a rough spot.
"When you look at the economic impact of this, you have to appreciate that it is severe. Extremely severe. Haven't seen anything like this since the Great Depression," Getz said.
Councilman Getz believes Texas is ready to slowly begin reopening.
He says enforcing the 25% capacity rule will be up to the code enforcement department and the fire marshal.
"The way it usually works is if somebody registers a complaint, the Fire Marshal will go out and verify whether or not they're within their occupancy limit or not," Getz said.
Extra precautions and strict guidelines are worth it to John Swift.
"Don't everybody come out at once on Friday, but we're looking forward to see those folks that we've built relationships now for three and a half years," Swift said.
Some other restaurants in the area decided to hold off on reopening, because they believe the capacity limits aren't worth it. Swift says his restaurant has taken quite a hit, so they'll do what they can to protect customers and the business.