Texas restaurant reopens amid coronavirus to three-hour waits
Rio Mambo President Brent Johnson hopes the successful reopening can 'win back' industry confidence
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Texas restaurant chain Rio Mambo reopened its Colleyville, Texas, location after being shuttered by the coronavirus, and its president Brent Johnson said the homecoming was a big success.
After receiving a proclamation to reopen, Johnson told FOX Business’ Stuart Varney that the restaurant readied itself to reopen Friday, following all necessary safety procedures to welcome in happy customers.
“The feel was – it was almost like a holiday,” he said. “It could have been the Fourth of July. It could have been Cinco de Mayo. The people were there. They were excited. They were happy… Our staff was ecstatic. We’re all really happy about it.”
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Johnson said a total of seventeen tables were set up six feet apart throughout the restaurant and into the parking lot. Rio Mambo allowed an hour-and-a-half stay per party to let other customers enjoy the experience.
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“I can just tell you that people are ready to get out,” he said. “We had three hour waits from the time we opened to the time we closed… We had everything from our decals on the floor monitoring the six feet difference. We had our employees all in masks… We realized our number one job was to keep our employees and our guests safe and win back the confidence of the dining public that we can do this.”
According to Johnson, some customers came from miles away for the reopening, while Rio Mambo regulars were welcomed back and happily served.
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