Regina businesses innovating when it comes to COVID after restrictions

All of Saskatchewan’s mandatory restrictions around COVID-19 are gone and have been for several days, but some businesses are giving people a few more options than just “mask on or mask off.”

When a hungry customer walks into Nicky’s Cafe, they might notice that all the staff are still wearing masks. They also might notice a small sign telling them that if they’d be more comfortable in a physically distanced section of the restaurant, then that can be accommodated.

Signs let people know about the dining options at Nicky’s Cafe in Regina. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

The restaurant has a completely different area with extra precautions like distancing and nothing left on the tables.

Perry Makris, owner and operator at Nicky’s Cafe, said the staff took it upon themselves to offer the extra option.

“There are people who haven’t even been out for a year, and now that they’re able to come out — restrictions have been lifted — they still want to be safe about it,” said Makris.

Only a handful of people have chosen the separate section so far but Makris said the feedback has been very positive. He said that occasionally people will ask why the staff are still wearing masks, and one man told them he wouldn’t be coming back until the masks were off.

“We’ve always tried to make people here at Nicky’s as comfortable as we can,” said Makris. “And in saying that, we don’t want to shun away people just because we’re not wearing masks or the restrictions are lifted.”

He said the extra section will likely be around for the foreseeable future; he explained the restaurant is big so he can afford to have a section for that dedicated purpose.

It’s not just restaurants trying something a little different. Eco-friendly store Mortise and Tenon has introduced “Mask Mondays.”

While masks now are normally optional in the store, on Monday afternoons, the store now has timeslots people can book.

Mortise and Tenon in Regina. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

“Everybody in the store will be masked. You’re not allowed in without a mask on that day (and) all of our staff will be masked. And you can kind of come and have a little bit more of a private shopping experience if that is something that would make you more comfortable,” explained the store’s Dani Hackel.

She said they wanted to make sure everyone was accommodated in the store.

“We know there’s lots of people who can’t get vaccinated, who are immunocompromised and then all of our friends with kids under 12 who can’t get vaccinated, we just figure we would make sure that they felt comfortable with shopping here,” said Hackel.

There’s still hand sanitizer at the door, masks are still available at the front, and plastic barriers still stand at the front counters.

How long all the measures stay, though, will depend.

“We’re kind of just playing it by ear. We don’t have any definitive dates set for anything. It’ll just be based on how the province is doing and how things roll out in the next few weeks,” said Hackel.