The Bristol Oyster Bar closed its doors, along with the other restaurants in the state, in mid-March. It had just announced plans to open for takeout service when the governor announced this past Monday that restaurants could open for outdoor dining, beginning Monday, May 18.

So Oyster Bar owner Jordan Sawyer adjusted his plans again. He still plans to open for takeout beginning this Thursday, May 14, and will offer a limited menu Thursdays through Sundays from 4 to 8 p.m., with online ordering; now they will also be offering outdoor dining, with their full summer menu, on their patio. Links to reservations will be on their social media as well as Open Table.

Their popular buck-a-shuck special will be back at some point, in some form. For now, takeout offerings include dollar oysters — but you’ll have to shuck them yourself.

Earlier this week Mr. Sawyer was onsite, measuring the outdoor space, and by the new regulations, he can accommodate seven tables of four guests each at a time. “The guidelines are ever-changing," he said, "and we’re erring on the side of caution.”

Staffing an issue

Mr. Sawyer is still ironing out the details, but another factor inhibiting opening at pre-pandemic hours is staffing. He admits that the federal $600 weekly bump to unemployment has made returning to work a less attractive option for some; in recent days he has lost two employees. He hopes to get his staff back up to full strength and expand his hours by the end of May.

The list of state regulations under which restaurants are being allowed to resume operations is long, and in addition to table spacing, reservations, and staff and guest screening, it includes rules about sanitation and “high-touch” surfaces like menus and condiments. Mr. Sawyer is ready to comply. “We’ve taken all the extra precautions, from disposable flatware to single-use everything except plates,” he said. “We’ll be using credit card payments only, emailing receipts, and lots of hand sanitizer.

“We’re all in uncharted waters, but we are very well prepared to open safely.”

Weather a factor

Though The Lobster Pot has an expansive outdoor seating area and, until recently, had very little takeout business to speak of, owner Jeff Hirsh is going to stay with the takeout model for now and keep his fingers crossed that his restaurant will be able to invite diners inside in the near future. “It is way too cold,” he said of this May’s weather on his harborside deck. “We will continue to handle takeout and hope for the inside lifting in two weeks.”

Staff safety a concern

Bristol Bagel Works has been closed to retail customers for the past two months, despite already having a robust takeout business. Given the fact that almost everything they serve can be eaten out of hand, a typical sunny Saturday would see diners not only sitting on the few outside plastic chairs, but also sitting on the wall out front to enjoy their bagels. So why have they remained closed?

For manager Alicia Smith, the concern has been how to keep staff safe when the layout of their food preparation area has them working shoulder to shoulder, all shift long.

Their solution? A soon-to-launch, call-in-only takeout service with a limited menu that will allow their staff to use the inside of the shop (that normally holds about 10 tables in close quarters) to socially distance while preparing orders.

“There are a lot of moving parts,” said Ms. Smith, who will be meeting with her staff via zoom on Sunday to finalize the plan. She doesn’t want to give a guaranteed date when they will be bringing bagels back to Bristol, but she promises it will be soon — follow their Facebook page for the forthcoming announcement.