Deli owners decide to remain open in Redding during second state shutdown
REDDING, Calif. — Regardless of the shutdown decision made by Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday to once again shut down several sectors including bars and dine-in restaurants due to concerns of increasing COVID-19 cases, a few restaurants in Redding are keeping their doors open including dining in and takeout orders.
San Francisco Deli in Redding was packed with customers inside, on Tuesday, as many decided to dine-in or take their orders to go.
Owner Brenda Luntey decided to keep their business open after feeling "backed into the corner" in the sudden announcement on the shutdown. Luntey said she wanted to keep their business alive and said she was overwhelmed with the community response to her decision.
Marsha Green from Redding said she had not been to the sandwich shop before until she heard the owners decided to stay open.
"I came out to this restaurant here today, for the first time in about 10 years because of the governor's decision and the owner's decision to remain open here," Green said. "I feel like it's a ridiculous decision that he made. I don't understand how he made it. I also feel like these people were brave enough to do this and I'm smart enough to support them."
San Francisco Deli was not the only business that decided to stay open.
Owner Pat Watson of Sandwichery located in downtown Redding on Tehama Street said he's frustrated with the decisions made by the governor and decided to not shut down their small sandwich since the first shutdown.
"It would be nice if we had some consistency and I’ve always felt we need precaution over panic, Watson said. "When they first started, you wear a mask if you’re sick or a caregiver and the social distancing, and that’s great but then it kind of snowballed from there and now it’s you got the country feuding whether you wear a mask or not. Businesses aren’t sure for one day or the next, whether they are going to be open or closed, what the restrictions are going to be, and a lot of small ones, especially us, you don’t know if you can support or if you’re going to close for two months. A lot of guys don’t have that reserve."
