Expect more Charlotte businesses to ask customers to mask up after Cooper, CDC guidance

As Gov. Roy Cooper presses companies to follow the latest mask recommendation by health officials, some Charlotte businesses are encouraging, and in some cases requiring, face coverings for workers and customers.

On Thursday, Cooper urged companies to ask everyone to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week updated the face covering recommendation to help curb the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 delta variant.

Cooper also is asking employers to have workers show proof of vaccination and urging regular COVID-19 testing. He urged everyone to get vaccinated.

“Businesses know what to do. People know what to do,” Cooper said. “But we know the real way out of this is vaccines.”

In May, Cooper lifted most coronavirus pandemic restrictions, including a statewide mask mandate. That’s when The Evening Muse in NoDa reopened after having been closed for 14 months because of coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

After the CDC on Tuesday said even vaccinated people should wear masks indoors, the Muse said it would require everyone to wear a face covering inside the 1,700-square-foot music and performance venue.

“Togetherness is a factor in live music and for the Muse, we don’t have the benefit of being outdoors,” said Evening Muse owner Joe Kuhlmann. “And, we want people to get vaccinated.”

He said masks are one way to stop the potential spread of the coronavirus so The Muse can stay open. “People have been happy to get back to live music, it’s part of that healing process,” Kuhlmann said.

Expect employees in masks, customers to be asked

Some local businesses are requiring workers to wear masks, but not necessarily customers.

“We’ve become accustomed to the masks,” said Damian Johnson, co-owner of No Grease barbershops based in Charlotte. He said barbers are required to wear masks.

No Grease has 12 barbershops and schools in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. Johnson said clients must sign a waiver that says they haven’t come in contact or had COVID-19 in the last 14 days.

Elsewhere in Charlotte, Ri Ra Irish Pub in uptown, which only reopened last month after being closed for months during the pandemic, plans to urge customers to mask up.

“Based on the CDC’s recent recommendations we are requiring our staff to wear masks while we are open and we are encouraging our customers to mask while moving about the restaurant,” said Quinn Witte, director of facilities for Ri Ra.

Following mandates

Some businesses say a mandate is needed to make mask rule changes, but urging vaccinations is key.

Paul Verica, owner of The Stanley and Orto Italian Kitchen in Charlotte, has about 40 employees. He said three workers aren’t vaccinated and are being “highly” encouraged to do so.

Verica hasn’t decided if workers will be required to wear masks again. But customers will not.

“It’s difficult enough to get customers right now,” said Verica, who is starting to see an uptick in business. “It’s a lot easier when there’s a mandate in place and it doesn’t make us the bad guy.”

Lynn Broadway at The Beehive Gifts in uptown’s Overstreet Mall, said the shop will “go with whatever is mandated.

“If we have to go back to (masks) to slow this thing down again, then so be it,” she said.

She’s optimistic that business will pick up despite some concerns about the delta variant. It helps that The Beehive only has three employees, all of whom are vaccinated, Broadway said.

“You know, I am one of those who believes in vaccines,” she said. “If everybody would take that route, maybe it would help.”