The first weekend of a newly created coronavirus curfew in the Bay Area seems to have gone fairly smoothly.
For the most part, restaurants, bars and other late night venues that are in counties where the curfew is in force closed down with plenty of time for patrons to go home around 10 p.m.
Restaurant owners in Walnut Creek said there was a smaller crowd than normal this weekend, and many customers seemed to head home early, even before the curfew kicked in.
Most businesses stopped seating tables just before 9 p.m. so customers could have enough time to dine and then leave.
Contra Costa County is among several in the Bay Area that are in the state’s most restrictive purple tier.
Walnut Creek restaurant owner Arash Ghasemi said he closed his place early on Saturday night because there were no customers. He figures the curfew kept people home, and the weather didn’t help.
“Plus, it’s cold,” Ghasemi said. “We closed last night at 8:30 p.m., which is very unusual for us. Normally we would be open until 10.”
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He said there was a drop in customers the whole weekend, but his small business will get by as best it can. But he also said these tightened restrictions have pushed him to pare down his staff. Only four waitstaff were scheduled Sunday, normally there’s more than 12.
California’s curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. will stay in effect until December 21, but can be modified if needed.
