A couple local student-favorite restaurants give updates amid COVID-19 concerns

By Kyran Crist / Online Editor

After the COVID-19 pandemic handcuffed the world, businesses had to take a different and cautious approach when it came to reopening their doors, especially in the food and drink industry.

Coffee shops and fast food places, which make a good percentage of their revenue from students looking for a place to hang out with friends or a place to study, had to really dive into how to go about reopening, and how to create a safe environment for everyone.

Here’s a look at two Hutchinson Community College student favorites.

Metropolitan Coffee on 1329 E. 17th Ave., has downsized its seating area inside and removed the couches, but added more tables and chairs outside.

Other safety precautions The Metro is taking – masks, more frequent sanitation, curbside pick up, and online ordering. Every employee is required to wear a mask, and masks are required for anyone else inside the building until seated at a table. You can also now call in for curbside or place a pick up or curbside order through their Odeko app (formerly known as Closiv). But their menu and lively environment remain the same.

The Metro is open during the same hours as before the shutdown, closing at 10 p.m every night and open 6:30 a.m Monday through Friday,  7 a.m on Saturdays, and 8 a.m on Sundays.

Bogey’s, located at 1718 N. Plum Street, has also downsized the indoor seating to accommodate social-distancing guidelines but added on an outdoor pavilion in early August to join the “Open Air Movement”.

Bogey’s has provided a menu outside so that call-in and online orders through their website can be placed. Bogey’s has opened the dining area with reduced seating. The salad bar remains closed, and masks are not required for entry. Hours have gone back to the same as they were before the shutdown as well, open every day of the week from 10:30 a.m to 10 p.m.

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