MIDLAND, MI - As restaurants throughout Michigan begin reopening to dine-in service, two locations in Midland and one in Bay City remain closed due to coronavirus exposure concerns.
Genji and Pi’s Asian Express, both in the Midland area, are closed due to coronavirus issues, according to both restaurant’s Facebook pages. Bay City’s Rathskeller Food & Spirits wasn’t able to reopen, as one employee tested positive for COVID-19.
Rathskeller Food & Spirits, 600 E Midland St., announced through a Facebook post that it would not be reopening June 8 as planned due to an employee testing positive for COVID-19. Paulette Groya, who owns the restaurant with her husband, found out around 9 a.m. on June 8, just two hours before they were set to reopen, that their son, who works at the restaurant, tested positive.
“We were at the restaurant when we got the call,” Groya said. “Our son, Phillip, said he tested positive. So, we put a sign on the door that says, ‘Closed until further notice’ and contacted the health department.”
Groya said employees were notified through a staff page that a staff member had tested positive and that the restaurant was going to stay closed. Rathskeller reached out to customers who ordered take-out on days their son worked and shared their information with the Bay County Health Department. The department contacted customers to let them know they may have been exposed to COVID-19.
“We decided to just listen to health department guidelines on reopening,” Groya said. “Each employee was tested and, so far, no one else has come back positive.”
Rathskeller had a professional crew sanitize the restaurant last week. This week, Groya and her husband will wash every dish, clean out the fridge and sanitize every counter in the restaurant. As of now, they plan to reopen Monday, June 22.
“It’s almost mind-blowing that we’re going through this, but we don’t want to hurt anybody,” she said. “I just hope that, if this happens to anyone else, they follow protocol. We need to stop the spread of disease.”
In Midland, Genji, located at 2929 S. Saginaw Road, announced in a June 10 Facebook post its decision to temporarily close due to COVID-19 exposure. The restaurant will tentatively reopen Saturday, June 20. In the meantime, restaurant staff are sanitizing and disinfecting the restaurant. According to the post, Genji is working with the Midland County Health Department to ensure all safety precautions are followed.
“We have been taking diligent measures in accordance with local, state, and federal guidelines to ensure the safety and health of our employees and customers,” the post stated. “Therefore, all of our staff have had access to appropriate and immediate testing.”
That same day, Pi’s Asian Express, 5015 Eastman Ave., announced on Facebook its temporarily closure due to COVID-19 exposure. The restaurant plans to reopen June 20 as well, but the post stated that date may change “until we are 100% certain of all staff members and customers’ safety.”
“Pi’s Asian Express will be re-evaluating our COVID response plan for a safe reopening to resume carryout and delivery services,” the post stated.
Many restaurants across mid-Michigan opted not to reopen for dine-in June 8 due to fears of exposing staff and patrons to COVID-19. Other owners also cited concerns of not being able to make enough profit to offset the costs of opening due to the 50 percent capacity constraints and 6 foot social distancing guidelines limiting how many patrons they can serve at a time.
Genji and Pi’s Asian Express could not be reached immediately for comment. Rathskeller, Genji and Pi’s Asian Express will post reopening dates on their Facebook pages when updates are available.
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