Members of the Memphis Restaurant Association want to go back to work after COVID-19 forced them to close down.
This, according to MRA member Ernie Mellor, who owns Hog Wild – Real Memphis BBQ.
“I will say the majority of our members are ready to go when we get the green light,” Mellor told The Tennessee Star in an email.
“[But] there are a few w/ hesitation.”
Mellor said he could not answer our other questions, for reasons he did not specify.
About 20 other MRA members did not return requests for comment Wednesday.
Mellor told The Memphis Business Journal this week, though, that if things continue as they are then restaurants will shut down.
“If we stay shut down for any length of time — talking June or July — the banks are gonna start wanting their money, vendors are gonna be looking for their money,” Mellor told The Business Journal.
“I think there’ll be a lot of folks who are ready to go out and eat and socialize a little bit. And, I think there’ll be some who want to stay at home, so let them stay at home.”
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, the publication said, extended the city’s stay-at-home guidelines until at least May 5.
As The Star reported Tuesday, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said the state shutdown of restaurants to protect against the COVID-19 pandemic was necessary, even if members of the Memphis Restaurant Association reportedly described it as unconstitutional.
“What is most important is that these shutdowns occurred in order to save people’s lives. Tennesseans have done what Tennesseans needed to do. That was to put in place measures and to follow those measures to do just what was necessary to stop the spread of a deadly virus. They have done that,” Lee said.
“We certainly cannot entirely stop it, but we can slow it to a point that we can manage that spread and have the capacity in our health care system to take care of it and allow Tennesseans to operate and run their businesses at the same time. That is the goal, and I am grateful that Tennesseans have done what they have done to get us to the place where we are. We are encouraged to move forward.”
Members of the Memphis Restaurant Association reportedly want Lee to allow them to open at 50 percent capacity on May 1 and at 100 percent capacity a month later.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
The 50% may 1st and 100% a month later makes too much sense for the government to permit it to happen. Let we patrons decided if we desire to dine in at a restaurant. Income will decide if they stay open – as it should.