SF business owners concerned as county could soon enter purple tier

On a typical day the view of the Bay Bridge can take any worry away. But tonight it’s not doing the trick for Pete Sittnick, as he goes into the weekend knowing that San Francisco could soon enter the Purple Tier.

“There has to be a commitment to public safety and public health and we understand, but from business owners standpoint it’s like we are getting punched in the gut every single day,” said Sittnick, Epic & Waterfront Restaurants, and Managing Partner.

Today the city’s health director, Dr. Grant Colfax, said COVID-19 cases are rapidly increasing.

“The 14-day average of new cases has gone up 152 percent since November 1, placing us on the trajectory to be in the purple tier, potentially as early as Sunday.”

At Epic Steak restaurant, they are putting a plan in place knowing that a statewide curfew would be next.

“We’re going to take reservations up to 8:30 and those people are going to have to be out by 10 p.m.,” said Sittnick.

In the purple tier San Francisco would close indoor movie theaters, indoor places of worship, and indoor museums. The Conservatory of flowers gearing up for this potential.

“We do have people who’ve purchased tickets in advance and we reached out to those people to work with them and refund or reschedule their visit as appropriate,” said Mathew Stevens, Executive Director of the San Francisco Conservatory of flowers.

Gyms would only be allowed to open outdoors. An option Danielle Radkin says is not feasible for them

“They don’t allow private training in the purple tier. I have a 4600 square foot facility that is just the ground floor. To tell me that I can’t do one on one training so I can continue to make a living seems criminal,” said Radkin, owner of CrossFit Golden Gate.