VALDOSTA – Ashley Phillips wanted rice and gravy. 

The Adel resident came to Mama June’s soon after it reopened Monday for a helping of one her favorite meals and was not worried about being around other people. 

“We were ready for things to open up,” she said.

Gov. Brian Kemp’s announcement last week to allow eateries to open the doors for inside dining Monday, meant owners had an important decision to make. While some local restaurants kept their dining rooms closed to protect staff from contracting COVID-19, others chose to open.

Kemp’s order prohibited salad bars and buffets from opening.

Usually a buffet, Mama June’s has transitioned to cafeteria-style serving in an effort to abide by the governor’s guidelines.

Customers are greeted by a hand-sanitizing station before paying and walking into hot food bars lined with Saran Wrap.

Every other table was kept empty to provide at least six feet of space, and customers could grab a plate and have staff serve portions or request a plate to be made specifically for them.

Choosing the latter, Phillips said she appreciated the option of plastic dinnerware instead of metal.

“We’re being as safe as we can be,” said Deborah Christian, general manger of Mama June’s.

Since the shelter-in-place order, the restaurant shut down and refrained from offering takeout. Its planning for reopening began last Thursday to coordinate how to operate in a new environment.

With 53 people on staff, the Monday crew totaled closer to 30. Employees with underlying health conditions were given extra words of caution about returning but still had the choice regarding whether to come back to work.

The first lunch rush was far from hyper-speed, but a couple dozen customers were inside the building at a little after noon.

“It’s slow, but folks have been appreciative and walking by me to say thanks,” Christian said.

Unlike Mama June’s, opening day was not opening day for Big Nick’s.

The Baytree Road eatery remained closed for dining-in Monday, only serving takeout. 

“I think it’s too early for everyone to congregate, for everyone to be so close to each other,” Nick Harden, owner of Big Nick’s, said. “I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

For now, Big Nick’s remains open for takeout, curbside service and delivery only. The outdoor seating is currently being treated as a waiting area for customers that pay at the counter.

Harden said he appreciates customers supporting Big Nick’s but he is not reopening the dining room out of concern for the safety of his employees.

Harden plans to reevaluate as time passes. He encourages social distancing practices.

“(If) we feel comfortable or see that we have a decline in numbers (COVID-19 cases) here in Georgia and Valdosta, then maybe we can take that chance,” he said, “but for right now, we’re going to stay like we are.”

Keith Sirmans, owner of Jack’s Chophouse, said his North Valdosta Road eatery will not reopen to the public for dining-in and will offer outside seating and curbside only. He made the decision after speaking with local health inspectors and hospital board members.

He said Jack’s will allow a couple of weeks to pass before reopening.

Nearby, Mom and Dad’s Italian Restaurant will wait for at least a week or two before reopening.

Massimo Pistelli, Mom and Dad’s co-owner, said the eating establishment is offering carryout for now. He owns the restaurant with wife Cindy and son Giuseppe. 

“We just don’t feel comfortable doing the dining in and the carryout at the same time,” he said.

Pistelli finds it difficult to follow new guidelines put forth by Kemp and the state.

The executive order restricts restaurants from allowing more than 10 patrons per 500 square feet, not including staff.

The order also mandates that employees wear masks at all times, be screened for symptoms, that work spaces be separated by six feet when possible and there be limited contact between wait staff and patrons.

Businesses are asked to not preset tables with dinnerware. Self-service drink and utensil stations are not allowed and floor plans must be adjusted to adhere to social distancing guidelines among other sanitation requirements. 

There are at least 39 other criteria for compliance with the reopening order issued by the state.  

“I think it’s just too early to go in and start serving table service with all the regulations that you must maintain,” Pistelli said.

He said Mom and Dad’s intends to keep its employees working while serving a community that he said provides great support for its businesses. 

Ella’s Top Corral is not letting customers into its dining room this week, said Kyle Steven Webb, Ella’s marketing director.

The fast-casual restaurant is open for drive-through, takeout and delivery with plans to reopen the dining room near the beginning of June; however, Webb said the reopening will depend on coronavirus cases and circumstances at the time.

”It was a tough decision, but I think we made the best one,” he said. “We are really relying on the drive-through and delivery options.”

After a conversation last week and paying attention to Georgia and Lowndes County reported COVID-19 cases, he said it is not the appropriate time for Ella’s to open its dining room.

With a maximum occupancy of 70 people, including staff members, he said it was too compromising.

Staff members must have their temperatures checked at the beginning of their shifts and wear gloves and masks. Interaction with customers is kept contactless.

Ella’s closed its dining room at least two days before the state mandate to close, as staff “saw what was about to happen here in Valdosta,” Webb said. “I kind of saw the waves coming before they crashed.”

Webb said he loves how adaptable customers have been in recent weeks. Some customers have gotten their food at the drive-through and tailgate in the parking lot. 

“People really come together, and we are thankful and blessed,” Webb said. “We can’t wait to get back to normal but want to wait until it’s safe so that we don’t have a relapse. We want to do what’s best.”

Gud Coffee Company is not yet open to inside dining but is providing outside seating for anyone wanting to eat downtown.

Isaac Musgrove, co-owner of Gud Coffee, said coffee and food will only be served through a walk-up window. Owners are waiting a little longer to reopen the inside to keep staff and customers safe, he said. 

“We’re kind of just waiting to see how things go in the next few weeks,” he said. 

The outside chairs and tables will be separated and wiped down with sanitizer in between customers.

Representatives for the Lake Park chains Chick-fil-A and Pizza Hut said dining in remains unavailable with no timeline for reopening. Both offer carryout services.

Passage 2 India and Thai Chang 2 both remain open for takeout but did not reopen on-site dining. Neither had decided on a reopening date as of Monday morning.

Covington’s Dining and Catering, Steel Magnolias and Jessie’s Restaurant and Catering have used social media to announce they will not be reopening their dining rooms until further notice.

While it may be a few weeks before these eateries begin allowing customers indoors, others are already welcoming customers.

After weeks of being closed, Waffle House dining rooms are open for business.

The Five Points Waffle House opened for dining-in Monday morning with a new look. The upholstery remained red and the scent of hash browns on the grill still wafted in the air, but  employees greeted customers wearing masks.

Only two seats at the bar were open to encourage customers to social distance. Plastic menus were replaced with paper ones and seats and tables were thoroughly cleaned as soon as each customer departed. Waffle House keeps a checklist requiring employees to confirm the new hourly cleaning tasks to maintain sanitation. 

A Lake Park cafe unlocked its dining area, as well.

Donna Weldon, co-owner of Lake Dogs, said the restaurant saw no dine-in customers as of 11:30 a.m. Monday but did receive carry-out orders.

Weldon, who co-owns Lake Dogs with husband Don, granted some of her employees the chance to stay home during the closure and provided job security upon a safe return. 

When asked if her cafe would survive the pandemic financially, she was optimistic. “Yes, definitely,” she said.

Brandi Shinkle is the owner and operator of Jimmy John’s in Valdosta, Thomasville, Tifton and Albany.

She said her restaurants will open their doors for dining Monday, May 4, with plans to fully training staff to follow Kemp’s guidelines. Face coverings for workers should be arriving this week, and signs will be placed on tables to inform customers of the restrictions. 

“I want to make sure there are no questions,” Shinkle said.

A questionnaire was distributed by Jimmy John’s corporate offices to screen employees and instruct anyone not feeling well to not work that day.

“Our lobbies are not large,” Shinkle said. “My largest is 50 people. We will be rotating every hour which table is open and which are closed so we can disinfect properly.” 

Jimmy John’s is currently only offering delivery and takeout. The sandwich shop is offering family meal deals and $5 boxed lunches for health care workers. 

“We are trying to help everyone as much as we can and still pay the bills. One of the things I feel like people should know is no one is really trying to make a profit right now,” Shinkle said. “There are a lot of people saying we (businesses) are just tying to make money. I don’t think any of us are trying to make a profit; we are trying to pay bills, rent and employees.”

A few Lake Park restaurants are doing the same as Jimmy John’s by reopening later rather than sooner.

An employee at Cowboy’s Fire Pit and Grill said Monday it will reopen dine-in service Tuesday, and an employee at Cracker Barrel Lake Park said dine-in will  resume Tuesday morning. A staffer at Rodeo Mexican in Lake Park said dine-in service will resume May 4. All three restaurants offer take-out services.

Reporters Terry Richards, Desiree Carver, Chris Herbert and Derrek Vaughn contributed to this report.