Under the Massachusetts’ phased plan for reopening, hair salons were able to open their doors beginning May 26 and restaurants were able to open for indoor seating beginning June 22.
Several hair salons in Halifax have been seeing clients for the past month with certain restrictions in place. Bk & Co Hair Design opened their doors on May 26 by appointment only. Clients were asked to wait for their appointment in their cars in order to allow for thorough sanitation between guests. Salon Serenity is taking temperatures at their door and asking all clients to alert them if they are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19. In addition, they ask that those coming in for their appointment come alone and wait in their car until called into the salon. Owner and stylist Kelly McAndrews told the Express that while they were initially not allowing blow drying, the salon has since begun offering that service again.
Teeka Lynne’s Salon & Day Spa also opened on May 26. Owner Teeka Isakson explained, “I have always run the salon based off the State Board guidelines. The State guidelines are really an enhancement to what we have already been doing.” Like the other salons in town, masks are required. Of the past month, Isakson said, “Overall things are going smoothly it just takes more time to take care of our clients due to the fact most have not had their hair done in 2-3 months.”
Restaurants have had a slower start for indoor dining as they were part of step 2 of phase 2 which began in late June. The Lyonville Tavern and Grille 58 in Halifax both plan to open the third week of July and are currently undergoing deep cleanings. The Express spoke to Lisa Davis, one of the owners of The Moon and Back Café in Plympton and was told they resumed indoor dining on June 23. “Right now, we have two booths that are separated, and I only have 2 tables that are six feet apart. I’m just waiting on my partitions to come in so that I can actually use all three of my booths,” Davis explained. She also said that just as it was in the pre-pandemic days, sanitization is of the utmost importance. “The past week has had its ups and downs; we’re just wading through the storm and hopefully everything is going to start picking back up,” Davis said.
The Blueberry Muffin in Kingston re-opened for in person dining on June 22. A staff member told The Express that tables have been set up at least six feet apart and that the restaurant is following all new sanitation guidelines from the state. Small changes such as ketchup being served in single packets only have also been implemented. Of the last week, they said, “It has been pretty steady, some days have been busier than others.”
Assistant General Manager of the West End Grill in Kingston, Weston Pearson, said the restaurant reopened for indoor seating as soon as allowed albeit with a somewhat limited menu and limited hours. All of the tables have been spaced out six feet. There is limited seating around the bar.
According to Pearson there are five additional tables available compared to the outdoor seating arrangement they had earlier in the pandemic. They are also still offering curbside pickup for those who aren’t ready to venture inside for a meal. Asked how business has been, Pearson said, “Slow, I think it’s a combination of that and also the time of year. We have another restaurant in Plymouth -Waterfront Bar and Grill, that’s been very busy. I think every day is a little bit better than the previous.”