Gyms Prep To Open At Limited Capacity, Restaurants Adjust To New Realities
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Starting Saturday, a number of businesses across the state will reopen at limited capacity. Gyms, bars and restaurants have been shut down since mid-November.
Two years ago, Bridget Dunn opened Body Sense Pilates and Wellness in Blaine.
"We were just getting to the point that we were doing really well and then we had to shut down," said Dunn. "It's a lot to start a business, to take the risk. This whole baby, it was like birthing a baby, creating something like this."
And for most of this year, she's been faced with an uncertain future. The studio has been through two shutdowns even though Dunn argues that most of what they do is small group or one on one training.
"It's been difficult for me as a Pilates studio to be thrown into the same grouping as a large big box gym," said Dunn.
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"To stretch out and keep going, you can't do that in a virtual thing. It's not the same," said long-time client Joyce Lupinek.
On Saturday, some sense of normalcy will return. Gyms will be allowed to open with a cap of 100 people or 25% capacity. Dunn calls it a step in the right direction for her business but also for the mental health of her clients.
"There's a lot going on in the world and exercise is a way to handle that situation and to feel better," said Dunn.
As gyms adjust, restaurants and bars are doing the same. Twin Spirits Distillery in Northeast Minneapolis never planned to offer outdoor seating in December. So they had to get creative, with greenhouses.
"We've had a couple interesting people stop by. One, they think we are a showroom selling greenhouses," said owner Michelle Winchester.
But Winchester's seven glass houses are meant for customers and cocktails. Four people can go inside at a time, but both doors have to remain open due to a state mandate, so electric blankets are encouraged. Winchester hopes this kind of greenhouse effect pays off.
"We will rely on hearty Minnesotans to come out even though it will be cooler," said Winchester.
Winchester said she began making plans for the greenhouses even before the latest shutdown. They cost about $1,000 apiece. They are also selling cocktail kits as a way to make money during the pandemic.
