Downtown was empty; empty streets lit by snowflake shaped lights that should have been removed shortly after Christmas. Some businesses were completely shut down, while others had large signs plastered on their windows that read “curbside pickup” or “taking delivery orders.” That is what Downtown Ellensburg looked like a few months ago. Today, people are clinking glasses on the patio at BRIX, walking in for their tattoo appointments at The Roost and taking advantage of Hayday Bakery and Brewery’s quiet atmosphere to study or work while they sip some beer. Now that Kittitas County has entered Phase 3 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s reopening plan, things are starting to look almost normal.
Story & Photos by Jessica Perez Design by Itzel Montoya Edited by Jayce Kadoun
Where We Are Now (Phase 3) Kittitas County entered Phase 3 on June 23. This phase allows for restaurants to be at 75 percentcapacity, bars at 25 percent, gyms at 50 percent, movie theaters at 50 percent and gatherings up to 50 people. Even though the county has moved into the next phase, regulation-wise, not much has changed from Phase 2. Phase 2 allowed retail stores, hair salons, real estate and restaurants, among other services to reopen at less capacity. However, many of the businesses in downtown Ellensburg didn’t reopen until June, even though Phase 2 was approved May 27. This was due to all the preparation that went into reopening during the pandemic. The Roost Tattoo Studio did not open until on June 2 because they had to reschedule all the appointments they cancelled during the shutdown. “Everyone’s getting moved around right now for appointments because we’ve missed a lot of them over these past few months,” Shop Manager Trevor Worcestor says. The Roost is prioritizing all cancelled appointments during the first three months of their reopening. All the tattoo artists in the shop are booked until the end of August. After that, they will start filling their logs with new appointments. Alenté Spa also opened on June 2. The spa had to change the way their customers check in for appointments in order to minimize contact with other clients. To check in for appointments, customers receive a text message 15 minutes before their appointment. They must respond to let their technician know they’re outside. Once their stylist, nail technician or masseur is ready for them, they will SUMMER 2020
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