Southern Indiana restaurants divided on plan to reopen dining rooms so soon

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WAVE) - Most Indiana restaurants can open 50 percent of their dining rooms as early as May 11 under Gov. Holcomb’s “road map” to reopening the state.

Phillip Caldwell, owner of Hoopsters Sports Grill in Jeffersonville, tells WAVE 3 News his restaurant will be open the first day possible. With the Hoopsters outdoor patio creating extra space, Phillips said the restaurant can serve up to 75 people at once even with social distancing guidelines.

“I think it’s a great start to getting our economy back open,” Caldwell said.

He plans to spread out tables and remove bar seating to further comply with guidelines. Caldwell said he knows his customers are just as excited for the reopening as he is.

“I think there’s a lot of cabin fever where people want to get out of the house and see friends they haven’t seen in awhile, family members,” he said.

Caldwell also plans on serving several patrons from Kentucky with restaurants in the commonwealth not opening yet under Gov. Beshear’s plan.

Speaking in Frankfort Friday, Beshear cautioned against crossing the river for dine-in service.

“Doing that can frustrate the plan that we have and can potentially push back our timeline,” Beshear said. “I would ask that if things in other states are open that are not open in Kentucky we do not travel to them.”

Joe Phillips, owner of Pints & Union in New Albany, tells WAVE 3 he wants people to take Beshear’s warning seriously.

Even with Holcomb’s go ahead, Phillips doesn’t plan to reopen his dining room until June citing a lack of testing for COVID-19 in Indiana.

“I think they’re making their best guess to try to save an economy, but I choose people over money,” Phillips said.

Phillips thinks that reopening his restaurant too early could further spread the virus but he’s not discouraging others from choosing to reopen.

“I have full confidence they will do the homework... and keep their staff and their guests as safe as I’m sure they’re all capable,” Phillips said.

In Frankfort, Beshear told reporters that Kentucky continues to coordinate its reopening plan with states like Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Despite differences in plans across those states, Beshear said the states’ governors understand why decisions are being made differently.

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