Cantina 18: Key is to stay open

jason Smith, owner of Cantina 18 in Raleigh, says he and other restaurateurs knew more restrictions were coming because of North Carolina's surging coronavirus caseload, and he's happy it wasn't a shutdown.
Posted 12/9/2020, 1:34:00 AM Updated 12/9/2020, 1:43:07 AM

ARRIVES COMING UP.

>>> RESTAURANT ONERS ARE LIKELY

TO FEEL HE CAN OF THE NEW

CURFEW MORE THAN JUST ABOUT

ANYONE ELSE.

THIS IS THE NEW RULES THAT WERE

JUST PUT INTO EFFECT BY THE

GOVERNOR TODAY THAT START ON

FRIDAY.

NOW, JASON SMITH IS THE CHEF

AND OWNER OF CANTINA 18 IN

CAMERON VILLAGE.

JASON, WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST

REACTION TO THE NEWS THAT YOU

MUST CLOSE BY 10:00 P.M.

AND STOP ALCOHOL SALES AN HOUR

EARLIER STARTING FRIDAY?

>> WELL, WE'RE JUST HAPPY TO BE

OPEN AN WE'RE REALLY HAPPY THAT

THE GOVERNOR HAS BEEN SO

ACCESSIBLE TO THE RESTAURANT

ASSOCIATION.

WE UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT

THIS IS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND

OUR PURCHASE DESCRIBER WHETHER

IT BE OUR WINE REP OR THE BEER

DELIVERY GUY ALL BEING

EMPLOYED.

ATE SETBACK.

WE KNEW THERE WOULD BE MRI

RESTRICTIONS.

THE KEY RIGHT NOW IS STAYING

HOPE AND KEEPING AS MANY PEOPLE

EMPLOYED AS I CAN.

>> CERTAINLY DOES TOUCH SO MANY

MORE PEOPLE THAN JUST THE

PEOPLE THERE AT YOUR

RESTAURANT.

AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH YOU

THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC.

AND WE KNOW YOU HAVE SAFETY

MEASURES IN PLACE.

DO YOU FEEL AS THOUGH YOUR

PALMETTO STRAUGHAN IS A PLACE

WHERE COVID HAS BEEN SPREADING.

>> NOT AT ALL.

WE HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY CAREFUL

TO BE SAFE.

WE MASK UP.

WE WASH OUR HANDS.

WE KEEP WINDOWS OPEN WITH AIR

FLOWING THROUGHOUT THE

RESTAURANT.

MY STAFF IS VERY CONSCIENTIOUS

ABOUT THAT.

IT IS SOMETHING THEY TAKE VERY

SERIOUSLY.

AND WE WORK REALLY HARD TO DO

IT THE RIGHT WAY.

WE ARE HAVE VERY SPREAD OUT AND

KEEP MOVING.

WE DO A HEALTHY CURBSIDE

BUSINESS AND THAT IS KEEPING US

GOING AS WELL.

>> MY LAST QUESTION AS WE WRAP

UP HERE, JASON, ARE YOU HOLDING

CUSTOMERS ACCOUNTABLE TOO TO

TAKE THE PRECAUTION THEY NEED

TO TAKE?

>> WE ARE ASK.

WE ARE ASKING SOMEBODY TO WE

ARE A MASK.

WE HAVE THEM HERE AVAILABLE FOR

THEM.

OUR CUSTOMERS WANT TO DO THINGS

THE RIGHT WAY.

THEY WANT TO KEEP US OPEN AND

THEY WANT TO LISTEN TO THE

GOVERNOR AND THEY WANT TO DO

THINS TO MAKE THE RESTAURANT BE

HERE FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.

>> JASON SMITH, THE OWNER OF

© WRAL