Retailers pleased, restaurants impatient with governor's reopening plan

Denny said she will follow social distancing guidelines by limiting the number of people in her shop and figuring out other ways to keep her staff and customers safe.

"How would you feel [as a customer] if you came in and I said, 'Please don’t touch anything?' That’s another question in my mind as I am cleaning. What do we do?" she said.

Del-Rio also has put marks on the floor 6 feet apart to show customers where they can stand to check out or wait for the dressing room. Based on guidance from the state, the shop will be allowed only five people inside at a time.

Andy Ellen, president of the North Carolina retail Merchants Association, said retailers have learned best practices in social distancing and cleaning procedures by watching how supermarkets, pharmacies and other "essential" businesses have operated during the stay-at-home order.

Del-Rio said she officially reopened Koket Boutique last Saturday after submitting a request with the state to be considered an "essential" business. As part of that process, businesses may remain open until the request is acted upon.

Retailers said they just hope customers will return once the restrictions are lifted. One said the combination of Mother's Day and graduations is the busiest shopping season after Christmas.

"You've had a number of businesses that have been closed who are ready to get back open and bring employees back to work and start selling goods, especially as we head into Mother's Day weekend," Ellen said.

Restaurants, however, will miss out on the holiday, as Cooper's plan continues to limit them to drive-thru, takeout and delivery orders.

Steve Thanhauser, co-owner of The Angus Barn Restaurant in Raleigh and chairman of the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association, said the shutdown has been "pretty brutal." The Angus Barn has lost about 90 percent of its business in recent weeks, he said.

"We're all about safety. We're all about making sure that, when the governor allows our customers to come back, that we will serve them safely," Thanhauser said, adding that he hopes Cooper offers an interim step in the coming weeks to allow outdoor dining at restaurants.

Ellen agreed that safety is the top priority for retailers, and he's glad Cooper and his advisers have worked with businesses on the reopening plan.

"We would like to see all the businesses close to us – in our retail space – open. But we also understand some of that concern [over the virus]," Ellen said. "I think the governor and those industries {such as restaurants, gyms and salons] will work very hard to make sure that, when they open, they open safely as well."

Cooper's plan also allows public parks and trails to reopen, although playgrounds will remain closed for at least two more weeks.

Dawn Christley, owner of Body by Dawn personal training studio in Cary, said the move will boost the spirits of people who have had limited exercise options in recent weeks.

"It's absolutely crucial for their mental health as well as their physical health," Christley said. "This is just something that, in my opinion, is absolutely necessary – to be able to get out, get fresh air, get some exercise. How do help fight off something like [the virus]? A strong immune system. We need this."

Group fitness classes will be limited to 10 people, and they still must follow social distancing guidelines. Christley, who said she has been running virtual boot camps but can now do it outdoors, said that won't be a problem for most fitness enthusiasts.

"Anything that gets them back up and running and gets us back out here and able to work out," she said.