BETTENDORF, Iowa — Today is the first day of new guidelines in Iowa, aimed to help curb the spread of COVID-19. This includes restrictions on gatherings, youth sports and bars and restaurants.
Even though staffers at the Coffee Hound in Bettendorf have been wearing face masks, it's now up to customers to do it too. Owner Beth Aronson says most of the coffee shop's customers have already worn a face covering over the last few months.
She says the new mitigation efforts have her thinking about her employees.
"There are so many cases right now, and I know many people who have (COVID-19)," Aronson says. "So the big worry is if we have to close our lobbies, we can still use the drive-thru, which is a blessing."
A significant amount of her traffic comes from youth sports next door at the TBK Bank Sports Complex. And right now, many activities are cancelled.
"The (lack of) sports will hinder us a little bit," Aronson says. "The last tournament was scheduled for the end of October, so we were expecting a little bit of a downturn."
In the same plaza, Foundry Food + Tap now has to close up early at 10 P.M. every night.
"From 10 P.M. to 1 A.M., we don't do a lot of sales, but every dollar counts," Director of Operations David Serrano says.
Employees there are preparing for both the holiday season, and preparing to make sure everyone wears a mask.
"It's a mix right now. We have people that come in and wear a mask the full time they're here except when they're eating, then we have people that don't," Serrano says.
It's something that he thinks will take some getting used to for Iowa-side customers.
Hopefully everyone stays safe and stays well, and we get back to normal living real soon," Serrano says.
For bars and restaurants like Coffee Hound and Foundry Food + Tap, tables are limited to eight guests unless they are part of the same household.