Pensacola-area businesses crossed different thresholds as Florida moved into full Phase One of its reopening: gyms unlocked their doors for the first time in weeks, restaurants and retailers doubled their indoor capacity, and bars remained limited to to-go orders only.
For bar owners, the uneven rules stung. “We’ve been closed for nine weeks,” said Nick Zangari, owner of Badland’s Roadside Bar. “That’s pretty much the threshold. One more full month, and you’ll see places that will not survive.” Zangari said his revenue was down 92 percent in April despite offering to-go drinks.
Just down the street, retailers and restaurants were allowed Monday to expand from 25 percent to 50 percent indoor capacity. Zangarri noted many customers were simply treating restaurants as quasi-bars, a workaround that left stand-alone bars and nightclubs at a competitive disadvantage. “It would be one thing if we were all closed,” he said.
Fitness centers like Legendary Performance on Palafox Street opened for the first time in about two months. Owner Reggie Williams said the gym had just moved to its new location when closures hit, but survived financially by continuing physical therapy services through the shutdown.
Inside the gym, staff directed clients to keep their distance and stocked plenty of sanitizer for the machines. “Most of our equipment is not very tight together so we’re able to do that with the exception of our treadmills and we basically turn off every other treadmill,” Williams said.