Amid pandemic, San Francisco Bay Area sports bars alter Super Bowl viewing
PALO ALTO, Calif. - It's just days from Super Bowl Sunday.
How we watch the big game will look very different because of the pandemic.
Bay Area restaurants and sports bars are preparing for what is usually one of the busiest days of the year.
On Thursday night, workers set up a tent in the parking lot of The Patio Bar and Grill in Palo Alto-one of three areas that will offer outdoor seating.
Owner Megan Kawkab says it will be reservations only for Sunday and she's almost fully booked.
Reservations starting coming in as soon as the stay-at-home order was lifted recently.
"People are wearing masks. They're social distancing. I feel safe and who wants to miss the Super Bowl," says Mary Daniels, a patron who reserved a table for Sunday.
The owner says Super Bowl Sunday normally brings in more than 200 people.
But it's a whole different ball game this year.
With the safety guidelines, she says she'll be able to accommodate around 120 people.
Kawkab says she'll be following county guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19: Up to six people per table from the same household and tables 10 feet apart.
"We'll be doing yard duty. A lot of staff walking around making sure people understand they can't be yelling, screaming. Unfortunately, they have to keep their masks on," says Kawkab.
In San Francisco's Richmond district, Chomp N' Swig, described as a sandwich beer bar, owner Albert Lara is installing more TV monitors for the big game.
Since his parklets have limited space, Lara says he'll stop allowing food delivery drivers to pick up orders at 3 p.m., before the Super Bowl, to limit the number of people gathering here.
"If you feel sick, don't come out. If you feel under the weather, don't come out. Don't jeopardize the people around you," says Lara.
The CDC says the safest way to watch the Super Bowl this year is from home with people you live with.
"For me personally, I'm going to stay at home with my girlfriend and try to watch the game," says William Rankin of San Francisco.
Another man says he'll be watching with three others at a friend's home.
"I live alone so it's really good for me to have some type of socialization 'cause the walls are crawling into me," says Andre Bobo of Portola Valley.
The owner of The Patio says there will be security and staff to make sure people limit how much they drink since too much may lead to a patron not following safety guidelines.
"The boring bowl this year, sorry," says Kawkab
There there will be no drop-ins at The Patio on Sunday.
The doors will open at 11 a.m. to stagger when patrons arrive. so there won't be a line of people waiting to get seated.