By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com
Shut for 10 weeks, the owners of the Adobe Motel and Restaurant used it as an opportunity to replace headboards and beds in its 110 rooms and get ready to host guests under new coronavirus restrictions.
Just down the road, the owners of LeRoy’s Blue Whale cleaned and repaired kitchen equipment, ungraded electrical, regrouted tile and fixed bathrooms.
“I did everything I have been wanting to do for the past 29 years but haven’t had the time,” said Don Lindsley, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Angie.
Lodging – motels, hotels, vacation rentals, RV parks and campgrounds – can open in unincorporated Lincoln County, Yachats and Lincoln City on Monday as locally-approved restrictions loosen.
For health, economic and political reasons, that’s up to 12 days later than reopenings in Waldport, Newport and Depoe Bay and for the Siletz tribe’s Chinook Winds casino and motel. Those cities voted to open last week in order to attract visitors during the Memorial Day weekend.
Although some local restaurants opened March 16, many waited until motels and vacation rentals could resume operations. Others still need to finish repairs, remodels or change business plans.
But as motels start welcoming guests and more restaurants reopen to inside dining, they all express a warning — We barely survived this closure. If a second wave of COVID-19 cases hits Oregon or the coast and there is a second closure, then we’ll likely be out of business.
“It’s still going to be tough,” said Anthony Muirhead, general manager of the Adobe. “The whole point in opening now is for people to have confidence in coming in July and August.”
But if businesses can’t stay open through the height of the Oregon coast’s tourist season, Muirhead predicts disaster.
“Many folks won’t survive that,” he said.
Big adjustments for motels and restaurants
The Adobe has guests checking in Monday.
The Blue Whale will reopen its doors for breakfast Wednesday.
Both will be operating under totally new state and county regulations.
Most restaurants closed March 23 when Gov. Kate Brown instituted restrictions on dining and personal services. The ability to offer food for takeout was of little financial help, and many quickly gave that up and closed. Many others who stayed open could do so only with the help of the federal Paycheck Protection Program.
Now, restaurants tables must be six feet apart and employees must wear face coverings. That means restaurants that have reopened are operating at one-third capacity.
The Blue Whale, for example, will be limited to eight of their 18 tables, which may cause issues during the busier breakfast and lunch rush.
“If people have to wait they’ll have to wait outside,” Don Lindsley said.
The two large dining rooms and lounge at the Adobe have less than half of their usual tables. Sunday buffets are gone.
The Lindsleys are trying to re-hire 13 of the employees they laid off in March. Usually they’d have 20-25 on the work schedule.
“Normally we’d be hiring for the summer season right now,” said Don Lindsley. “Not this year.”
Robert Anthony, owner of Luna Sea Fishhouse, reopened two weeks ago only because he was able to expand his outside dining. Luna’s lower building has just two inside tables and the upper restaurant has none.
Still, Memorial Day weekend with its increase in visitors and warmer weather brought plenty of customers, he said, because they were able to sit outside.
In Yachats, the Underground Pub is still doing remodeling work and hopes to reopen later next week. Beach Street Kitchen is still only doing takeout, as is the Green Salmon. Ona remains closed. Waldport restaurants are slowly resuming operations as well.
Green Salmon owner Deborah Gisetto said she hopes to reopen in late June, but has to switch entrances, re-do the shop’s front counter and ordering system, and redesign the table area.
“I would rather err on the side of caution then re-open too quickly,” Gisetto said in an email.
Linda Hetzler, owner of the Drift Inn and Motel, said the mish-mash of reopening dates in Lincoln County has been confusing to guests. She’s noticed the uptick in outside dining on her back patio, but is not sure if that’s because of the attractiveness of the space, the nice weather or diners still cautious about sitting inside.
As for business overall?
“I haven’t checked (the numbers),” Hetzler said. “All I know is that it’s less.”
Motels expect steep business drop
For motels and vacation rentals, the county and six of seven cities (Waldport has not) adopted a long list of procedures to help protect guests.
No food in lobbies; no unnecessary contact during check-in, no in-room cleaning during stays of more than a day; and housecleaners not allowed back into a room for 24 hours after a guest leaves.
Drew Roslund, managing partner of the Overleaf Lodge and Fireside Motel, sent five pages of detailed operation plans to Lincoln County. New tasks include an employee who does nothing but clean common areas, elevators and other high-contact places.
Still, Roslund expects business to be half that of a normal June, when they typically run at 60-70 percent capacity. The operation has 97 rooms and seven vacation rentals.
“We’re glad to open back up; glad to get staff back,” he said. “It’s nice to have some energy back in the building.”
Muirhead has the same expectations for the Adobe. June is still a “shoulder month” and many people are still cautious about traveling.
“We’re just trying to reopen as responsibly as possible and keep our guests and staff safe,” he said.
Vacation rentals are operating under the same restrictions as motels.
The staggered opening across Lincoln County the last 12 days gave Sweet Homes Vacational Rentals the chance to test the new procedures at a handful of properties in Waldport, Newport and Depoe Bay.
Jamie Michel, vice president of business development for the Yachats-based company, said their 75 homes began filling up as soon as they opened online reservations starting June 1. Renters don’t seem to mind the extra protocols and regulations, she said.
“There’s a demand,” Michel said. “Mostly its folks who want to get back to normal … and I think they’re embracing the new normal.”
To wear or not to wear masks
Everyone seems to be getting the idea of dining and lodging protocols. Wearing masks is a whole different – and divisive – topic.
Motel and restaurant employees are required to wear them. The Oregon Health Authority and epidemiologists throughout the country say they are one way to help stop the coronavirus spread.
On Friday in Virginia, facemasks will be required for anyone in a public (retail stores, buses, restaurants, etc.) space when it’s not possible to stay 6 feet apart. That state has seen 40,000 cases and nearly 1,250 deaths – nearly 10 times the number in Oregon.
Wearing them in public in Oregon is a whole different matter.
Last weekend, few tourists who flocked to the Newport bayfront wore masks. People inside tourist shops rarely had them on, despite signs requesting they be worn.
Even though they have started a countywide marketing campaign asking people to wear masks and take other precautions, Lincoln County commissioners on Monday will debate whether they should require the public to wear them once they enter any county building.
That’s different at the Yachats Farmers Market, which is requiring anyone attending to pull on a mask. There’s rarely been an issue, said market manager George Mazeika.
Mazeika said Yachats-area residents seem to appreciate it. Most visitors get the message, he said, either pulling a mask out of a pocket or buying one from the Yachats Ladies Club booth.
“It’s an amazing thing to see. I have noticed everyone in Yachats is wearing a mask,” he said. “But go to Waldport, Newport or Florence and maybe half are.”
Michel said Sweet Homes’ rentals will provide masks for guests inside the home. From there it’s a matter of people respecting local norms.
“We’re asking them to be respectful of local requests,” Michel said. “All any of us can do is educate one another.”
In an unusual move, the Overleaf Lodge and Fireside Motel will require guests to wear masks when they are in public places of the buildings.
Even though guests are warned in advance, Roslund realizes it’s a tough stance that might lose him some business.
“At Costco it’s easy to tell people no,” Roslund said. “But what happens if they’re already checked in? We’ll just tell them, ‘Hey, if you want to get us shut down, Yachats is watching’.”