Local restaurant owners make tough decisions to close during coronavirus

Local restaurants are starting to feel the effects the coronavirus is having on their businesses.

Are starting to feel the effects the corona virus on their business.

Wtva's sydney darden spoke with one of those restaurant owners... sydney, he made a pretty bold decision to close down one of his restaurants right?

Nicole, when i spoke with the owner of kermit's outlaw kitchen, mitch mckamey earlier today he told me offering curbside services just wasn't worth it for his business or his employees so he had to make the hard decision to close down until further notice.

Doesn't take them."

Nats "it's just surreal just to sit out here.

It's quiet and look around and there's no one here.

On any given saturday you can usually find mitch mckamey here, entertaining a large crowd at his restaurant kermit's outlaw kitchen nats bell ringing "it's saturday.

It's one of our busiest days."

But now you can find him traipsing the empty dining rooms thinking about the next step.

Sot mitch mckamey, owner- "we have never been in anything like this before."

With the corona virus tightening its grip on the country everyday, mayor jason shelton says the city of tupelo will follow governor tate reeve's requirement for restaurants to limit dining services to less than 10 people, including staff and offer drive through and curbside delivery.

But even with profits from curbside mckamey said it just wasn't enough.

So, he decided to close his restaurant indefinitely.

Mckamey says closing will put him in the hole around 13thousand dollars each month sot mitch mckamey- "i don't know how bad the long-term impact will be.

Meanwhile at his other restaurant the neon pig.... nats meat grinding the store on one side is selling out product as locals stock up for the coming months.

But it doesn't mckamey says it doesn't make up for lost business at the caf.

Back at k.o.k line cook danae parker says the restaurants closing has been hard for everyone.

Sot danae parker, line cook- "it's been stressful.

It makes me antsy that i don't have work to go to and i'm not in school.

But mckamey says its best to lose money now than lose something more down the road sot mitch mckamey- "i don't care if it takes everything as long as the people i love, it doesn't take them."

Mckamey says right now he's going to reevaluate where the corona virus pandemic is in may before he considers reopening.

In the meantime, governor tate reeves issued a supplement to hus executive order saying cities can ban dine in service st restaurants as long as they offer curbside or drive thru services live in tupelo sydney darden wtva 9 news.

Alabama's governor issued a new order that went into effect just an hour ago.