Lake of the Ozarks restaurants, hotels prepare for influx of Memorial Day visitors
From using a zip line to carry out food to installing hand sanitizer stations, businesses at the Lake of the Ozarks are preparing for an influx of visitors Memorial Day weekend.
This weekend, always important for local businesses and considered the unofficial start of boating season, is more crucial than ever. The rush of people eager to escape their homes following shutdown orders means a flood of visitors to a tri-county area that has seen fewer than 50 total cases of the coronavirus.
After Missouri’s stay-at-home order went into effect, businesses around the Lake of the Ozarks ground to a halt.
Reservations at hotels were canceled. Restaurants shut their dining rooms.
“We are a tourism destination,” Tri-County Lodging Association public relations manager Rebecca Rupard said. “Our livelihood in all capacities relies on tourists coming and spending their time here, and spending their money, of course. It’s crucial.”
Hotels nearly full
When the coronavirus pandemic first began, the community remained optimistic that it would be somewhat isolated from the impacts, said Jim Cleary, general manager of the Lodge of Four Seasons.
But as time wore on, and stay-at-home orders caused reservation cancellations and closed restaurant dining rooms, people became more aware of the seriousness, Cleary said.
Then, people grew tired of being stuck at home.
“As time wore on, it became more of a frustrating situation where people started to get spring fever and cabin fever,” Cleary said.
Cleary said the Lodge is close to booked, with Saturday night the peak performer. And while many reservations came in much later than usual, he said he believes it will be a good weekend.
At Alhonna Resort & Marina, co-owner Sheryl Elia said she expects units to be full. As for safety, they are leaving a full 24 hours in between rentals before sanitizing, to help keep their staff safe.
For those who are renting boats, Elia said they are asking for only one person per group on the dock to help maintain social distancing.
“People are ready to get out and start living again,” Rupard said.
Becky Unger, who works at Golden Horseshoe Condo Rentals, said calls to make reservations have been pouring in the last week. She said she anticipates having a good summer season.
While the company’s swimming pools are open, they also implemented a no visitors policy to restrict any additional people.
“I think it’s going to be a busy weekend,” Unger said. “I hope that when people come they will be cautious and they will social distance. We don’t want an outbreak in our area.”
So far, one person in Camden County has died and 36 cases have been reported. Neighboring Miller County has seen four cases and no deaths. Morgan County has reported eight cases.
A zip line innovation
Paradise Restaurant & Bar manager Shanel Howard said they are anticipating a bigger crowd than usual this weekend.
At Paradise, keeping their staff and customers safe during a pandemic meant a special kind of innovation. So they developed a zip line delivery system.
“We were just trying to find an easy convenient way down to docks to take it to go,” Howard said. People now record video of food coming down on the zip line.
Staff are also sanitizing everything a customer might touch, Howard said. Customers will have single-use menus. Condiments are portioned out by staff: no more ketchup containers on the tables.
“They want the customer to come in but they want the customer to be comfortable,” Rupard said.
At Backwater Jacks Bar & Grill, a “Zero Ducks Given Pool Party” is planned for Saturday. A manager did not return request for comment in time for publication.
A post on Facebook described the extra safety precautions, including reduced capacity, non-contact thermal temperature screening and personal bottles of hand sanitizer.
For those who aren’t quite ready to venture into restaurants and other public places, Rupard said not to worry.
They’ll be there when you’re ready.
