Winter Park shops training employees ahead of limited-capacity opening
Winter Park, Fla. - Local store owners are working on training their employees as retail stores are getting ready to open at limited capacity Monday.
Winter Park store owners say they're anxiously waiting for business to be back open on Monday. The owners of a boutique in Winter Park, Tuni, say they are now getting their store and employees prepared to operate under new guidelines.
"We got new merchandise in, we’re tagging and pricing, getting things ready, cleaning up the store," said Paige Blackwelder, Co-Owner of Tuni.
The store has been closed since the end of March. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that retail stores in Florida would be allowed to open at 25 percent capacity.
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"Then after being so excited about it we also have to think about how we’re going to do it," Blackwelder said. "How we’re going to be cautious sensitive to what it is today."
The store plans on having a staff meeting on Friday where they will teach their employees how to properly put on and take off a face mask, properly wash their hands, social distance with customers and limit capacity at the store to follow regulations.
"Be at the front door and say 'I’m sorry we’ve reached capacity and give us a few minutes, or give me your number, we will text you as soon as someone leaves'," Blackwelder said. " It will be a little hard to embrace all of that, but we will because we have to keep it safe. We want to make sure we do it right. It’s important."
Passport Pop Up Gallery opened just six days before they were ordered to close. The gallery, a small space, will only be able to have a max of two people inside, but the owner says she's happy they'll be able to open under new regulations.
"At this point anyone walking in the door, one single person to look at the art would be fabulous," said Denise Autorino, Owner, Passport Pop-up Gallery.
In a Thursday morning briefing, Advent Health said they're working with some local businesses on how they can reopen safely.
"How do I make sure my guests and my customers are protected in my environment with reasonable steps," said President and CEO of AdventHealth Daryl Tol. "So we’re working with many of the community’s businesses on that."