Open businesses show creativity and best practices to meet the changing times

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The businesses that can stay open or have reopened during the COVID-19 crisis have had to come up with new ideas to meet the demands to physically distance customers, protect workers and still make a buck.

The best examples are stores with signage at the door, directly inside and clear, obvious protections for customers and workers.

Employees are also now all wearing masks in Santa Barbara. Recently, a Santa Barbara City Council ruling requires customers to wear masks as well.

Plexiglass protections are a commonplace. Some are hanging, some are installed, some have small areas to pass through products and money.

But it all protects the transmission of droplets that could carry the coronavirus.

Frequent cleaning is also not only done, but it takes place while customers are present. In some cases it is to reinforce the health and safety standards a business is holding itself to.

The Fuel Depot gas stations and The Point markets were among the first to deploy a rapid response team to the new way of doing business.

Within days they had protections up and have progressively rolled out many new ways to space customers, serve them, and not have it be a major burden.

Santa Barbara City Councilmember Mike Jordan used the Point Market and Fuel Depot operations in the area as a business that moved quickly to respond to the changes.   "I call it a great example of best practices.  They were on it early more than  month ago," he said.   "Some people just want to complain and others people will say this is something to adapt to and overcome"

Walking into the store  you immediately see signs, protection barriers  and employees with gloves running the operation without seriously hindering their flow.

The sign, "will stop you in your tracks and remind you to go back to your car and get your mask," said Jordan.  "This is a good example of how a business can adapt and keep up their business space." 

It won't be the same for all businesses, especially restaurants.

Some fear they may lose 50 to 70 percent of their seating space, to provide spacing.

Those requirements are being tested in other parts of the country.

Business owners have already started to ask the city to relax some of the rules,  possibly with signage and patio dining.

On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced some businesses might be allowed to reopen as soon as this Friday.

There are many ways businesses are adapting.
Many are starting by limiting how many people can come inside at one time.
They are making that clear out front with signs.

There are many unknowns ahead.

"Retail can do it.  They can limit the number of people that can come in their store.   They  will have issues on touching merchandise that will have to be worked out but I think this is one of the steps to getting us back to an operational status," said Jordan.     

As for advice,  even in grim times,  the message is to be nimble to adjust to rules and timing - whenever  the announcement is made for closed businesses to open again.

Jordan says, "be ready to go,   Be flexible as to what  that looks like,  try and make the best of it."  

More details tonight on KEYT NewsChannel 2, KCOY NewsChannel 12 and KKFX Fox 11 news.

---