The 'mask ask' can be tricky for Chattanooga area businesses amid coronavirus

Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / Jacque Heffner, right, looks on as her husband Trevor uses his phone to purchase tickets to the Tennessee Aquarium at the Aquarium Plaza on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The aquarium has dedicated hours when masks are required for visitors.
Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / Jacque Heffner, right, looks on as her husband Trevor uses his phone to purchase tickets to the Tennessee Aquarium at the Aquarium Plaza on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The aquarium has dedicated hours when masks are required for visitors.

Most Chattanooga area businesses aren't requiring patrons wear face masks to help curb the spread of COVID-19, despite pleas from health officials and ongoing reluctance from citizens to adopt mask wearing on their own.

As a result, Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger said he's considering mandating face masks in public places, and a handful of businesses have decided that the public health benefit outweighs the potential risk of disgruntled customers.

Keeli Crewe, co-owner and gallery director at Area 61 Gallery, began requiring that customers wear masks when she reopened her art gallery on Broad Street in downtown Chattanooga in May.

She has a bowl of complimentary, disposable masks at the entryway, along with a hand-sanitizer stop and a small chalkboard sign that says, "We Mask 4 You, Pls Mask 4 Us."

Crewe said she knows that masks are uncomfortable, and people don't like being told what to do, but those aren't good enough reasons to forgo face masks - especially given that many people who have the coronavirus don't show symptoms and can unknowingly spread it to others.

"The statistics are scary, and if there's a way that we can just slow it down a little bit, I think we should all do it," she said. "My sign isn't combative, and all the health departments say it helps you from spreading to others, so to me it's a respect and consideration thing."

Here are some Chattanooga-area establishments that require customers wear face masks:

Area 61 Gallery Bees on a Bicycle Bread and Butter REI Costco The Fresh Market Creative Discovery Museum Tennessee Aquarium (from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.) America's Thrift Store The Hot Chocolatier Asian Food & Gifts of Chattanooga American Eagle Outfitters Mountain Top Toys Learning Express Toys All Things Groovy Proof Bar & Incubator (unless seated at table) First Horizon Bank Know of another business not on the list? Let us know by emailing efite@timesfreepress.com This list does not include medical offices or close-contact businesses where customers are supposed to wear face masks according to the Tennessee Pledge.

Crewe thinks the complimentary masks are important if she's going to ask that people wear them, but most people already have their own. So far, she's spent about $75 on supplying the masks since May, she said.

"When they see that sign and the masks, a lot reach into their bags or backpacks and pull out their own, so a lot of people are carrying masks but they're not masking unless asked," Crewe said.

The Tennessee Pledge from Gov. Bill Lee is not legally enforced but offers best practices to business owners to keep the public safe.

At businesses following the rules, employees wear face coverings. Customers at "close contact" businesses- such as barber shops, hair and nail salons, spas and tattoo parlors - are also required to wear masks to meet the pledge guidelines. For customers of other kinds of businesses, the pledge simply recommends that customers wear face coverings.

Ryan King, associate vice president of government affairs for the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said businesses are in a tough position because many are struggling financially, and not all customers embrace face masks. Requiring face masks could help a business or hurt, depending on clientele, he said.

"Businesses are sensitive to being put in the place where they have to enforce the law - they're just trying to make waffles or sell a widget or whatever. Things are already tricky, and they're trying to get people in their doors," King said. "If you're a business owner and there's a lifelong customer that walks into your business without a mask on, it could be a difficult conversation to have."

He said he thinks businesses would be more willing to adopt masking policies if the state was able to pass a bill protecting them from some COVID-19 liability.

So far, Crewe said, most people seem appreciative of the policy and only about two people have walked out. However, she thinks if the government mandated masks, businesses wouldn't have to worry so much about pushback, because the rules would be consistent.

One day, a customer gave Crewe flak about the rule, but at that point they were the only people in the 4,000-square-foot gallery. So she let the person go without a mask as long as social distancing could be maintained.

"I made it clear that you will stay more than 6 feet away from me and told them if other people came in they'd have to put the masks on," she said. "I don't want to do that anymore, to be honest."

Christy Gillenwater, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, said in an emailed statement that the chamber stands "ready to partner with our elected officials to build public awareness about the importance of wearing masks.

"We must all do our part to protect public health and safety while we are rebuilding our economy," Gillenwater said. "Following [federal] guidelines as well as the Tennessee Pledge, it's imperative that our area residents wear masks when they visit our businesses, public places and spaces. To keep our businesses open and our local economy moving, it will take all of us acting responsibly."

Contact Elizabeth Fite at efite@timesfreepress.com or follow her on Twitter @ecfite.

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