It's the first full week that businesses across Kentucky reopened with no mask, social distancing or capacity requirements.
Some changes made to meet the challenges of the pandemic turned out to be good for business.
Along Russellville Road in Bowling Green, one visible change made during the pandemic is a white tent installed in front of a little diner named ConCon’s.
Owner Connie Blair said she had to adapt quickly to the requirements of the pandemic. She didn’t have any indoor dining for nine months.
“I never shut the doors, not at all. I put in the drive-up window in six hours after it started and I put a PA system outside,” said Blair. “You know, they just cracked their window and waited for me tell ‘em to pull up to the window and pick their food up.”
She said the changes that saved her business are going to stay.
“I’m going to continue to do business with my carryout drive-up window. And I have a walk-up window and the tent. That walk-up window is for the tent dining,” said Blair. “I’m not gonna be able to put all my tables back because I don’t want to lose my window.”
Blair said she got a lot of new customers through the carryout window and they saved her business.
She’s not going back to the full capacity of 54 customers for indoor dining, but will keep it at the previous capacity of 36.
The tables that were moved out into the tent are going to stay where they are because customers enjoy sitting out there.
Another pandemic addition that’s going to stay is a soft service ice cream machine that’s led to customer favorites - milkshakes and root beer floats.
