This Fresno restaurant has closed and the owner is so unhappy about it he’s holding a rally
High Sierra Grill & Bar has closed and the owner is so frustrated he’s hosting a rally for small businesses.
The restaurant on the corner of Bullard and West avenues has been closed for five months. The restaurant doesn’t have a patio, and with sun beating down on it all day, it wasn’t feasible or affordable to put tents and tables in the parking lot, said owner Manny Perales.
He decided to close the restaurant permanently “to stop the bleeding” after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new color-coded system Friday for when businesses can reopen during the coronavirus pandemic.
It could be months before restaurants in Fresno can reopen for indoor dining under the new system, but his bills are still due, Perales said.
“The fixed costs don’t go away – rent, PG&E,” he said. “We can’t get further and further in debt because of the unknown of when they’re going to allow us to open.”
Perales also owns all four locations of Yosemite Falls Cafe in Fresno and Clovis.
He’s holding a rally at 3 p.m. outside at the Blackstone and Shaw avenues Yosemite Falls Cafe location to show support for small businesses and ask legislators to loosen restrictions.
When can restaurants reopen?
The county watchlist system is being phased out and replaced with the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Fresno County is in Tier 1, the purple tier, where COVID-19 is considered widespread.
Once Fresno County moves to Tier 2, the red level, restaurants can open at 25% capacity or seat 100 people, whichever is fewer.
In order to do that, Fresno County must have fewer than seven new infections per 100,000 people and fewer than 8% of people getting tested for coronavirus testing positive for at least two weeks.
As of this week, Fresno County was seeing 16.5 new infections per 100,000 and had an 11% positivity testing rate.
“Nothing is going to happen anytime soon,” Perales said. “It’s impossible. It’s not attainable. We may be into next year if they don’t change it.”
Restaurants can further reopen as the county moves through two more tiers with their own requirements, staying in each tier for several weeks before moving on.
The county is averaging about 267 new cases per day. August was the deadliest month for the pandemic, with 152 dead in Fresno County.
Frustrated, Perales is holding the rally and inviting other business owners and customers to attend. He wants local and state legislators to hear their message and change the system.
Yosemite Falls Cafe restaurants are doing outdoor dining now, having beefed up operations with tents and misters. Still, the restaurants are doing about 35% to 40% of their normal business, Perales said.
But fixed expenses, like the power bill, are still due. His PG&E bill for the Blackstone Avenue restaurant is between $12,000 and $14,000 monthly during the hottest part of summer, he said.
Restaurants can only do so much, owner says
Perales said his restaurants are doing their part, including taking the temperatures of employees and customers upon arrival. Employees wear masks and customers are asked to don them when they arrive. Timers remind employees to wash their hands every 30 minutes.
But he can’t control spread of COVID-19 outside of restaurants, he said.
“What are we supposed to do? Go to the lakes and the beaches and tell people to put their masks on?” he said. “We can only control what’s in our buildings.”
This story was originally published September 3, 2020 at 12:17 PM.
