ST. SIMONS, Ga. — Catching a movie or dining-in for a meal can be done Monday in Georgia. With that being said, some businesses are choosing not to open.
AMC Theatres is one of the major movie theater companies reportedly saying they won't open their hundreds of theaters until there's a new big movie out. That movie would be Tenant, which is scheduled to come out July 17, followed by Mulan.
Big theater chains list a few reasons for not opening. They've furloughed workers, movie studios aren't churning out new movies right now and they're worried about customers getting infected and then suing if that were to happen.
As for restaurants, while dine-in services are the main way most restaurants make their money, some owners say they don't feel they can open safely yet and are sticking with only take-out and delivery options.
There's a list of requirements for them to open and for you to go to them. There has to be social distancing between the employee and customer, there can only be six people in your party, and there can be no more than 10 people per 500 square feet.
Buffets aren't allowed and restaurant playgrounds must stay closed. Take-out, delivery and reservation-only options are encouraged and meant to be prioritized.
It's unclear how the requirements will be enforced. Private social clubs are also allowed to open.
It seems only a handful of restaurants in Southeast Georgia are opening their dining rooms. At Mallery Street Cafe on St. Simons Island, things do look different.
"The tables in here are six foot apart," said the owner, Lance Williams. "I moved a lot of seats outside, which you can see behind me, so people can feel more comfortable since it's a very pleasant day."
He says 20 people dined in during the first three and a half hours they were open.
"I think people really wanna get outside and I think everybody's been cooped up for so long and we've had a good response this morning," Williams said.
Yet many business owners are choosing not to open their restaurants. Some cite safety reasons, but for David Carrier at Certified Burgers and Beverages, the decision is more a sign of the times.
"The way we've been operating we can service a lot more people without opening our dining room," Carrier said.
Their dining room is more useful now as a prep area for carry-out and curbside pick-up orders. He says the restaurants that open their dining rooms are just as safe as the ones that don't.
"What someone's doing it doesn't mean it's good, bad, or indifferent," Carrier said. "It's just perfect for them."
If you want to dine in at a restaurant make sure their dining room is open before you head there.