This was Texas’ first weekend without Covid-19 limits. Here’s how it went for
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Last week they were finally given the chance to return to normal, after the governor issued an executive order lifting the state’s mask mandate and allowing businesses to reopen at 100% capacity.
Just as varied as the approaches were their experiences this weekend, the first without Covid-19 limits on businesses — some saw business improve, others said things stayed much the same. One was the target of racist vandalism.
Here’s what some Texas businesses told CNN about their first weekend since restrictions were lifted.
Mike Nguyen, San Antonio
Sunday morning, Mike Nguyen discovered his San Antonio restaurant, Noodle Tree, had been vandalized with racist messages after he’d appeared in local news outlets and on CNN to criticize the decision to lift the mask mandate.
“Kung flu,” “go back 2 China” and “hope U die,” were written in red spray paint, according to photos he shared with CNN. (CNN has reached out to the San Antonio Police Department for comment on the incident).
“Honestly, to me it’s a piece of cloth that goes over your face,” he said. “I don’t understand why they took it this far, but I guess they wanted to send a message that masks are ridiculous, or whatever.”
But aside from the vandalism, Nguyen said the weekend went well. He chose to continue requiring masks for customers unless they’re seated at their tables. And he’s capped his dining room at about 60% to 70%, rather than fully reopening.
Before the restaurant was vandalized, Noodle Tree actually doubled its business compared to last weekend, Nguyen said, calling it one of the restaurant’s “busiest weekends.” He couldn’t say whether the increase was due to the lifting of restrictions or support from the community.
Nguyen said whoever vandalized his restaurant doesn’t represent Texans and they don’t represent San Antonians. Sunday, Nguyen told CNN people had been approaching the business throughout the morning to help clean up.
“I’m very humbled,” he said. “But I’m not surprised. This is what we do as Texans, this is what we do as San Antonians — we help each other out.”
He said that was also evident in how many Texans are still wearing masks, despite the relaxed restrictions.
“It kind of shows you that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and we can go back to what we used to be,” he said. “That’s encouraging.”
“I’m just hoping we don’t go backwards,” he added.
Lisa Dickinson, Fort Worth
Lisa Dickinson, the manager of a store in Fort Worth called Parts Unknown, said business was great this weekend. Saturday, the store actually exceeded the business it had done at the same time in 2019, she said. “It was a really good day.”
The store is not requiring masks of its customers, Dickinson said, a decision that was made by its corporate office. But most of the customers who came in this weekend wore masks anyway, she said.
“Nobody was upset with the ones that didn’t and nobody was upset with the ones that did,” she said. “Everybody minded their own business and had a good time.”
A number of customers this weekend were between the ages of 50 and 70, Dickinson said, and they told her they’d been “hunkered down in their houses for the last year because of the pandemic.”
“They felt…
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