First day of Minneapolis-St. Paul restaurant mandates: Some check cards, others close inside dining

Jan. 20—A new vaccination-or-test requirement for patrons of St. Paul and Minneapolis restaurants rolled out on Wednesday, though about two-thirds of St. Paul restaurants are exempt because they're not licensed by the city.

The mandates, announced by St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey a week ago, are the latest attempts by local government to slow the spread of the fast-moving omicron variant.

Reaction in both cities has run the gamut.

On their website, the proprietors of Punch Pizza indicated they had either temporarily closed or offered takeout only at their five St. Paul and Minneapolis locations, while their seven suburban locations are still hosting indoor dining.

In the Minneapolis North Loop, the Rise Bagel Co. announced on social media that it would also halt indoor dining: "We have made the tough decision to once again stack up our tables & chairs. We regret that we can't offer you a place to dine at this time."

'IF YOU HAVE YOUR VAX CARD, JUST COME EAT'

Tim Niver is keeping the doors open at Saint Dinette in downtown St. Paul and Mucci's Italian on Randolph Avenue, but he said he'd like to see a bit more support for the restaurant community as it's tasked with serving as the front line of sorts.

"Mandates aren't here to help businesses," said Niver on Wednesday. "They're here to help people. ... It's a decision made for public health. We'll find our way with this. If you have your vax card, just come eat. Big deal. ... I don't anticipate it being some charged scenario at the door."

Omar Syed, proprietor of Chili Time Coffee on McKnight Road, said many of his customers are immigrant elders who were unaware of the mandates.

"I told them you need to show your vaccine card, and some would say, 'No, it's at home,' or 'It's in the car.' " Syed said he was still in the process of reaching out to the city's Department of Safety and Inspections to confirm that his shop — which, like most restaurants in St. Paul that do not operate a bar, is licensed by the state — is exempt from the new mandates. Until then, he's erring on the side of caution.

ENFORCEMENT

There's still some question over how the mandates will be enforced. The cities are relying on a complaint system, and on Wednesday afternoon, a spokesperson for the St. Paul Department of Safety and Inspections said licensing staff had yet to receive any formal complaints.

Patrons unable to prove they've received a vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus can provide evidence they've tested negative for the virus within the past 72 hours. Children under the age of 5 are exempt. The new rules take effect Jan. 26 for ticketed events.

Niver is trying to keep a positive attitude even as he shutters one of his three restaurants in the face of short staffing, remote work clearing out business centers and general hesitancy among many patrons to go out to eat.

He's not expecting customers to avoid his restaurants, but he's also not expecting a windfall from health-conscious patrons who might feel safer venturing out because of the mandates.

"To be clear, nobody knows. Business is down. Business has remained down," said Niver, who is closing Mucci's Trattoria on Lake Street in Minneapolis on Jan. 29. "While there were certain gains at certain times, nothing has returned back to normal. I would say that we didn't get back to 75 percent (of pre-pandemic business), even at peak times."

At Mucci's St. Paul on Wednesday, Niver was honoring reservations but declining takeout orders and walk-ins due to staff absences. "I have staffing fluctuations that don't allow me to do full-service," he said. "Every single day brings me another situation. It's a rolling issue."