Despite COVID-19 restrictions, some McHenry County restaurants, bars continue indoor service

Despite the fact that Saturday was the day McHenry County bars and restaurants were mandated by the state to cease indoor dining, several area businesses defied this order, and customers continued to eat and drink inside establishments.

Windhill Pancake Parlor owner Jennifer Guasta said she was overjoyed at the amount of people who still turned out Saturday.

“I would say [we got] over 100 phone calls,” Guasta said, adding that most of them were about if the McHenry restaurant would be open for indoor dining.

Restrictions on restaurants and bars in McHenry and Lake counties were announced on Wednesday, after the region entered its third consecutive day above the 8% COVID-19 positivity rate
threshold.

McHenry County's seven-day positivity rate average increased to 12.8% as of Saturday.

On Saturday afternoon, Guasta told the Northwest Herald that more than 300 people had come through Windhill since it opened at 7 a.m.

This surprised Guasta, who thought “the community would just shut down” after the announcement of the return of dining restrictions.

She attributed this, partly, to people being tired of staying home like they did in spring and summer.

“I don’t think that they want to go back to that,” Guasta said.

Windhill has a heated tent for outside seating, but not many took advantage of that Saturday.

“Only nine people sat outside today,” Guasta said.

Although Guasta said concerns of consequences for not following the order have crossed her mind, she ultimately had to weigh her options.

“I’ve got a whole bunch of employees to worry about, to put food on their table,” she explained.

Likewise, Sharon and Thomas Teresi, who own The Double Yolk Cafe in Woodstock, made the decision to stay open because they wanted to ensure their staff would be able to make a living.

“We know that there are people out there that have concerns,” Sharon Teresi said. “But at the same time, we also know that if we do shut our doors, we might not be able to reopen.”

The last time restaurants were restricted to only takeout and carryout, The Double Yolk’s revenue decreased by over 75%, and they had to close for 2½ months, Sharon Teresi said.

“We tried [carryout]. We tried it for a week and … we couldn’t pay our bills,” Sharon Teresi said.

Posting on Facebook that they would be offering dine-in and curbside/pickup options garnered a “huge positive response,” Sharon Teresi said.

“People have supported us,” she said. “There are people that don’t agree with us, which we understand. But again, that’s why we put out there that it’s everybody’s decision.”

When Andy’s Restaurant of Crystal Lake announced on Facebook it would be continuing indoor dining, it also encountered enthusiasm for, and criticism of, its decision.

Some applauded the restaurant for fighting the mandate, saying it was needed for the owners to pay their bills and employees’ paychecks.

Others called the decision “ignorant,” “selfish” and “irresponsible” in the face of worsening COVID-19 metrics.

Andy’s, in its Facebook post, said the business has not taken COVID-19 lightly.

“We have followed every precaution there is to keep our staff and customers safe throughout this pandemic,” according to the post. “We hope you continue to support us and if you don’t feel comfortable eating inside, we are still offering carryout and curbside service.”

Papa G’s in Huntley also took to Facebook to announce it is remaining open indoors and emphasized “strict sanitary guidelines” it is putting into place, including barriers between booths.

“Our guests’ health and safety is our top priority and we have implemented many measures to ensure that you feel safe when you visit us,” according to the restaurant’s post.

Other restaurants, including Windhill and The Double Yolk, also said they have measures in place to ensure customer and staff safety, including social distancing and face mask-wearing.

Although they are willing to put additional safety measures in place, closing to indoor dining is something many establishments won’t survive, Sharon Teresi said.

“A family-owned small business doesn’t have the funds and the revenue to survive shutdowns, unfortunately,” she said. “We greatly appreciate the community’s support in every way, shape or form.”