Rainstorm dampens Central Coast restaurants’ return to outdoor dining

ORCUTT, Calif. - Wednesday's soaking rains and howling winds upended many Central Coast restaurants' plans to relaunch outdoor dining after California's stay at home order was lifted on Monday.

Some restaurants were able to take advantage of the change on Monday and Tuesday, but others did not have time to reset their staffing needs and now will have to wait for more pleasant weather to return.

“We’re hoping it’ll probably be a week from Monday that we’re gonna open our outdoor dining,” said Chrystal Trenado, co-owner of Cubanissimo Cuban Coffee House & Cafe in Orcutt.  “Just cause then we’ll know that the weather is a little more stable. 

“It’s also tricky with having staff. To know like ‘Ok, today it’s raining, today it’s not raining.’ And we have to have more staff on hand if we’re gonna do the outdoor dining so we can make sure everything’s fully sanitized to our standards.”

A restaurant manager in Santa Maria tells NewsChannel that her sales are roughly 10 percent of what they were at this point in January last year. Now dealing with turbulent winter weather that could always return, she believes only being able to offer outdoor dining is unfair.

Others are weathering the storm and staying positive.

Chef Rick Manson, owner of Chef Rick's Ultimately Fine Foods in Orcutt, is happy the area is getting a much-needed surge of rain. He says he will ramp up restaurant staffing to be able to serve outdoor tables once the weather dries out.

“We’re finding ways to keep swinging every day,” he said. “And looking at it in another way is just not gonna be for me and my benefit, or anybody’s benefit.”

The powerful storm system is expected to soak the Central Coast through at least Friday morning.