The green light is on for retailers to reopen their doors amid the COVID-19 outbreak and Chattanooga businesses are taking steps to re-enter the economy while unsure about what's ahead.
On Wednesday, Hobby Lobby stores in Chattanooga reopened for in-store shopping for the first time since closing several weeks ago amid the pandemic.
Store personnel said they were taking the precautions prescribed by the state and health agencies and business was steady.
At The Refindery on McCallie Avenue, owner Carol Ellis said she plans a Friday reopening of the doors for the antique and vintage goods shop, through she'll continue to offer curbside service.
She's opening just four days a week, Thursday through Sunday, for the time being while The Refindery was typically open seven days in the past.
"Vendors will have a chance to bring in merchandise without customers," Ellis said. "That limits personal contact and gives me a day or two to do deep cleaning."
She, too, said she's taking other necessary precautions in-store to battle the spread of the coronavirus.
Hamilton Place and Northgate malls will reopen on Friday, with shorter hours, as the shopping centers put into place a variety of measures for safety reasons.
The Chattanooga malls will open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Stacey Keating, a spokeswoman for owner CBL Properties, said plans are to keep large numbers of people from congregating at popular areas of the malls.
"We're trying to get a sense from retailers who'll be opening," she said. "Individual retailers will make their own decisions when to reopen."
CBL Properties said it's asking that the public exercise good judgment when visiting, including following Centers for Disease Control guidelines for social distancing and hygiene practices and asking that anyone with a fever or experiencing other symptoms to stay home.
The food court seating areas are closed until further notice, but the tenants are encouraged to reopen for carry-out service, according to CBL.
Also closed are the children's play area, soft seating areas and common area gathering spaces and drinking fountains. In addition, the malls are requiring mall management staff to wear masks while in common areas, public spaces or when other individuals are present.
At the same time, some Chattanooga area business people, like their restaurant owner counterparts, aren't in a hurry to reopen their doors to customers.
Patrick Holland, co-owner of Learning Express Toys, said that while it takes pride in being ahead of trends, "this is one time where we're more than happy to sit back and take a more cautious approach to reopening."
Holland said plans are to officially open its doors on May 8 at the earliest and maybe May 15 is more realistic.
"Concerns for our employees and customers are paramount, but also the logistics," he said. "Ensuring we have what we need to comply with state and city standards is also critical."
But Holland said as the store gets closer to those target dates, it may allow customers into the store "on an individual knock and shop method to test how this is going to work and optimize the experience for both our team and the customer."
At Fleet Feet in Chattanooga, store operator Steve Carter said no reopening day has been set yet while the store continues to offer curbside pickup and conducts virtual shoe fittings over Zoom.
He said when the store does open, it's uncertain what business will look like.
"I don't know," Carter said. "We're in the running business. A lot of people are staying active. Maybe it will be good for us.
He said the store will get all the cleaning supplies it needs and limit the number of people allowed in the store at one time.
"We'll ask people to stay six feet apart; associates will wear masks, and we'll furnish masks for customers." he said.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.