With Fort Worth city, chamber support, restaurants ‘Stay Strong,’ keep requiring masks

Nothing about COVID-19 safety has changed.

All that’s changed is that Texas has gone from weak rules to no rules.

It’s still up to you to keep yourself, your friends and family safe.

Most of all, don’t go to anywhere crowded, including restaurants. Pick a patio table or one in a well-ventilated room. Never sit or stand close to anyone else who isn’t vaccinated.

The Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, business organizations and the city are going further.

The new city message is “Stay Strong: Together We Win,” promoting masks and publicizing restaurants that require them.

(Keeping a 6-foot distance from others is what’s really important in restaurants, including outdoors, in line or at a counter. Obviously, diners always took masks off for a bite or drink.)

So far, the restaurants still requiring masks for customers are not reporting any pushback, although the masks technically don’t change from legal requirement to business policy until March 10.

‘It’s not safe to drop the mask rule’

“We have not had any pressure at all,” said Kelly Smith, owner of three Tommy’s Hamburgers restaurants.

She was surprised that some prominent restaurants didn’t stick to the mask rule.

“I’m not changing my mind until [COVID-19] gets better,” she said. “It’s not safe to drop the mask rule right now. It’s just not.”

Blue Fish Sushi, Blue Mesa Grill, Flying Fish, the Flying Saucer, Rodeo Goat, the Purple Frog, Spiral Diner and Tokyo Cafe are among other larger restaurants sticking to a mask rule.

Los Zarapes: ‘everybody has been nice’

At Los Zarapes Restaurant on the hard-hit north side of Fort Worth, Horalia Palomino is keeping a mask requirement to protect her staff’s health.

Customers are supportive, she said.

“Everybody has a mask and everybody has been nice,” she said. “My customers know me. They say to stay safe, take care of everybody.”

At Jube’s, watch that Plexiglas

In southeast Fort Worth, pastor-pitmaster Patrick “Jube” Joubert of Jube’s Smokehouse said “99%” of his customers arrive masked and the rest are happy to take one.

“We take all the precautions to make sure everybody’s safe,” he said.

Jube’s is takeout-only but has stools and picnic tables outside.

Joubert’s primary problem is with customers leaning around or under the Plexiglas at the counter.

(When you see Plexiglas, there’s a reason. Stay behind it.)

“Everybody who comes in here has been friendly,” he said.

He added Sunday lunch this week with roast rib-eye, smoked orange-pepper chicken, pork “country rib” steaks, yams. cabbage and dirty rice.

Business “never fell off” during the pandemic, he said.

His customers include doctors and healthcare workers.

He wants them to keep coming.