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Gallery: Some residents return to Plano restaurants, retailers as businesses gradually reopen

At Plano's Blue Goose Cantina, all food is packaged as to-go. People can then decide whether or not to eat at the spaced-out tables inside or outside. The restaurant is still unsure of what a process for reservations inside may look like, management said. (Liesbeth Powers/Community Impact Newspaper)
At Plano's Blue Goose Cantina, all food is packaged as to-go. People can then decide whether or not to eat at the spaced-out tables inside or outside. The restaurant is still unsure of what a process for reservations inside may look like, management said. (Liesbeth Powers/Community Impact Newspaper)

At Plano's Blue Goose Cantina, all food is packaged as to-go. People can then decide whether or not to eat at the spaced-out tables inside or outside. The restaurant is still unsure of what a process for reservations inside may look like, management said. (Liesbeth Powers/Community Impact Newspaper)

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By Liesbeth Powers | | Updated

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Dana Riddle (left) and Amber Arthur (right) eat on the patio of Taverna at Legacy West. They wanted to support local businesses and go out for some wine, the two said, and planned on tipping well. (Liesbeth Powers/Community Impact Newspaper)
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The parking lot at Mi Cocina Lakeside Restaurant was more than half full after its first hour of being open. The restaurant allows for walk-ins, but guests are encouraged to stay in their car until a table is available. (Liesbeth Powers/Community Impact Newspaper)
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Reopening Scout & Molly’s at the Shops at Legacy was a hard decision, owner Michelle Moore said. Moore is playing it by ear—only allowing two customers in the store at a time and taking safety precautions like wearing masks, gloves and sanitizing constantly, she said. (Liesbeth Powers/Community Impact Newspaper)
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A number of residents could be seen dining at the Main Street Bread Baking Co. at the Shops at Legacy this afternoon. Bailey Hollingsworth, not pictured, said she chose to dine there with her friend because she missed the social interaction and the feel of a restaurant. Hollingsworth and her friend planned to walk around the area to see what was open after eating, she said. (Liesbeth Powers/Community Impact Newspaper)
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Todd Shevlin, owner of The Consignerie, made his first sale in seven weeks on May 1. Shevlin had recently moved to a new location and is hopeful that business will pick up enough for him to continue his lease there, he said. (Liesbeth Powers/Community Impact Newspaper)
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A group dines on the patio of Earls Kitchen Bar at Legacy West. The restaurant reopened at 25% capacity, along with a number of restaurants in the shopping area. (Liesbeth Powers/Community Impact Newspaper)
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Many businesses that were able to reopen chose not to, like the Angelika Film Center & Cafe in Plano. The theater let its customers know in a Facebook post that it will reopen when best-in-class safety measures have been implemented. (Liesbeth Powers/Community Impact Newspaper)
Some residents returned to shops and restaurants today as the state began to loosen coronavirus-related restrictions on businesses. Texas restaurants and retail businesses were able to reopen at 25% occupancy on May 1.
RELATED STORIES
• Some Plano businesses, residents test waters for partial reopening, but many stay home
• State agency: More than 11,000 Plano residents try to claim unemployment benefits, but 1 in 5 claimants ineligible
• When coronavirus shrank its revenue, this Plano-based arts group expanded its programming


Many restaurants utilized their patio seating, while retailers worked to limit the number of people in their stores. Here are some snapshots of the day.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Blue Goose Cantina Taverna Mi Cocina Scout & Molly’s The Main Street Bread Baking Company The Consignerie Earls Kitchen + Bar Angelika Film Center & Cafe
By Liesbeth Powers
Liesbeth graduated from Baylor University with a degree in new media journalism in December 2018. She gained her newspaper experience as a staff writer and multimedia editor at her campus paper, The Baylor Lariat. Liesbeth joined the Community Impact team in August 2019, where she reports on all things Plano and Richardson, including Plano City Council and Dallas Area Rapid Transit.

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