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Lunch customers at WildFlowers Coffee Boutique chatted across tables and sipped coffee between bites of salad and sandwiches.
“It’s music to my ears,” said restaurant owner Tracy Wieneke. “It’s been so lonely in here with the tables put away. Just being able to have people in here is wonderful.”
Monday was the first day since Nov. 18 that restaurants have been able to serve customers indoors for in-person dining.
Last week Gov. Tim Walz announced a loosening of restrictions in response to COVID-19 case numbers slowing.
According to his new order, indoor dining at bars and restaurants can open at 50 percent capacity, with a maximum of 150 people.
Parties of no more than six people must remain six feet from other parties; bar seating is open to parties of two; reservations are required; and establishments must close dine-in service by 10 p.m.
Wieneke said COVID-19 restrictions on restaurants have been hard on her bottom line, especially since she purchased Wildflowers in July of 2019 just before the pandemic hit.
“It’s hard for me to compare losses to a normal year,” she said. “But the community has been so supportive.”
She said customers have been loyal about ordering take-out meals from WildFlowers and she said the city of Luverne has offered generous grants to its businesses affected by the pandemic.
“I’m not worried about tomorrow,” Wieneke said.
Also effective Jan. 11, according to the governor’s order:
•Gym capacity remains capped at 25 percent but maximum capacity increases to 150 and classes can increase to 25 people, assuming distancing can be observed. Machines and people must maintain 9 feet of distance. Face coverings are required.
•Outdoor events and entertainment continue at 25 percent capacity, but maximum capacity increases to 250 people. Social distancing is required.
•Indoor events and entertainment – like bowling alleys, movie theaters, and museums – may open at 25 percent, with no more than 150 people in each area of the venue. Face coverings are required, and they may not offer food service after 10 p.m.
•Youth and adult organized sports have resumed practice as of Jan. 4, and games resume Jan. 14 with spectators, following the appropriate capacity limits for indoor or outdoor venues. Inter-region tournaments and out of state play are discouraged.
•Pools opened on Jan. 4 for some activity and may now open, like gyms, at 25 percent capacity.
•Wedding receptions and other private parties may resume with limits. If food and drink are served at the event, then they are limited to two households or 10 people indoors and three households or 15 people outdoors. If there is no food or drink, they are covered by event venue guidelines. Any related ceremony – like a wedding or funeral ceremony – is guided by rules for ceremonies and places of worship.
•Places of worship remain open at 50 percent capacity but without an overall maximum capacity.