Restaurants and shops across Naperville were busy Thursday prepping to welcome back patrons.
The city is poised to move into the next phase of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan Friday, which means many restaurants can offer outdoor service and “nonessential” retailers and service businesses will open to customers.
To assist restaurants, Mayor Steve Chirico on Thursday issued an executive order allowing for outdoor seating without a permit.
“We know that the restaurant industry has been hit hard by the statewide order prohibiting dine-in operations,” Chirico said in a statement. “We are hoping this order provides some flexibility for establishments wanting to take advantage of the options available to them in this next phase of reopening our economy.”
The mayor’s order also extends outdoor service hours, sets a process for using public sidewalks for seating, and permits the city to close certain public parking spaces to give bars and restaurants more space for outdoor seating. The city erected barricades on diagonal and parallel parking spots downtown morning to assist in that goal.
Rachel Wiencek, manager of Trails & Tides on Water Street, and staffer Madison Gwilliam were busy cleaning, posting guidelines and placing stickers on the floor to control customer flow and distancing in preparation for their 10 a.m. Friday opening.
Wiencek said she had to shut down in mid-March when the governor’s order went into effect, but she was able to cobble together some business since May 1 either through curbside or delivery service.
“I like to call it full-service window shopping. There was a lot of us holding up stuff,” Wiencek said.
Among the biggest selling items recently have been hats, she said. A customer often would knock on the window, point to the hat display and then to an overgrown head of hair, she said.
COVID-19 hit many small businesses hard, Wiencek said.
“I’m glad we’re here in Naperville. There is this sense of neighborhood-ness that you don’t find elsewhere,” she said.
Because the store is pet-friendly, she often sees dogs stop out front wanting their owners to go inside and get their pup a treat. “Those are the highlights of our days,” she said.
Gwilliam sees it too. “That whole ‘Naperville Strong’ is a real thing,” she said.
On the south side of the city, Sajida Inam hired professional cleaners Thursday morning to give her Pakistani couture and bridal shop, Yoomna’s Boutique, a deep scrub before she reopens Friday.
It’s been a rough several months, Inam said.
“I’m very happy to open again. It’s almost killing us to be closed,” she said. “It’s been a very difficult time for everyone.”
Inam offered service at her shop at 95th Street and Route 59 by appointment-only. But much of what she sells is for special occasions, and no one is having weddings or parties where formal attire is needed, she said.
What she needs is an indication when larger gatherings might be allowed. “I still have to pay the bills,” Iman said.
Forget about walking into a hair or nail salon or barber shop because the governor’s reopening orders require all personal care services be by appointment-only.
Carolina Alva, manager of Floyd’s 99 Barbershop on Jefferson Street in Naperville, said the shop started taking appointments on Tuesday and, of Thursday morning, had two slots left on Friday. The weekend was filling up quickly, she said.
Because only 10 people – customers plus staff – are allowed in the shop under the governor’s regulations, the waiting area will be closed, Alva said. Some patrons might have to wait outside or in their vehicles until staff gives them a call when a chair opens up, she said.
Here are a few of the new coronavirus rules of the road that businesses and customers must follow in phase three of Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” plan.
Restaurants and bars
Outdoor dining and drinking will be allowed, but limited to parties of six or fewer. Tables must be spaced at least 6 feet apart from one another and from customer service areas.
In Naperville, outdoor seating can be open until 1 a.m. weekdays and until 2 a.m. Friday through Sunday.
Businesses are advised to implement a reservation or call-ahead system, and customers are asked to wear a mask over their nose and mouth except for when they are eating and drinking at a table.
Retail
“Nonessential” retailers will be able to open to customers for the first time since mid-March, as will shopping malls. Customers and employees have to wear face coverings.
Fitting rooms have to be disinfected after each use or must remain closed. Returned items must be disinfected or quarantined for 72 hours before going back on the rack.
Personal care services
Hair salons, barbershops, hair braiders, spas, tattoo parlors, nail salons, waxing centers and cosmetology schools are among the personal care services that can reopen, but they must limit services to those that can be performed with both the customer and the employee wearing a facial covering over their nose and mouth.
Massages and other body treatments must be 30 minutes or less.
Child care
Child care centers that have been open during the first two phases of Pritzker’s stay-at-home order to provide care for the children of essential workers will be allowed to expand service. Centers reopening in phase three will be limited to eight infants or 10 children per classroom for the first four weeks.
Licensed and license-exempt home day cares can reopen. License-exempt homes will be limited to three unrelated children, and licensed homes will be limited to either their licensed capacity or 10 children, whichever is smaller.
Recreation and fitness
Outdoor recreation businesses such as driving ranges, outdoor shooting ranges and adventure courses can reopen, with individual stations spaced 10 feet apart. Group sizes will be limited to 10 or fewer people, following social distancing guidelines.
Health clubs and gyms can reopen for one-on-one personal training and outdoor classes with 10 or fewer participants. Workout equipment must be spaced 10 feet apart or 6 feet apart with barriers. Locker rooms must be configured to allow for 6 feet of distance between members.
Youth sports and day camps
Youth sports may resume noncontact practices, drills and lessons that allow for 6 feet of distance between participants. Competitive games are prohibited.
There must be one adult per 10 participants, and there should be no mixing of participants between teams for the duration of a season.
Indoor facilities may open at 50% capacity.
Camp activities that require physical exertion should take place outdoors, but all camps should have enough indoor space to accommodate all participants with 6 feet of distance and groups of 10 or fewer.
Offices
While offices can reopen at 50% capacity, all employees who can continue working from home should be allowed to do so.
Employees should wear face coverings when within 6 feet of co-workers.
Manufacturing
Factories, plants and mills can resume operations with either 6 feet of distance or impermeable barriers between employee workstations. Ramped-up cleaning and disinfecting should be done between shifts.
Chicago Tribune’s Dan Petrella contributed.
