Page 38 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2020

DINING
Restaurant Reopenings Off to a Great Start
story and photos courtesy of Mississippi Coast Restaurant & Beverage Association
38 |
July 2020
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
Restaurants are not only one of the largest employers
Vice President of Operations and Human Resources Kevin Fish said they are happy that Governor Tate Reeves has reopened Mississippi in a safe and reasonable manner. “At the Half Shell and The Rackhouse, we had our own meetings to discuss the safety of our guests and employees, and the standards we derived for ourselves met or exceeded those put out by the state in every way,” Fish said.
He said he feels optimistic about the future of the economy and believes it will remain vibrant
if we keep people healthy.
“We believe that is a custodial responsibility of our restaurants,” he said.
“So far we’re very excited about reopening Mississippi, people have come back to our restaurants, and we’re o to a great start,” Fish said. “We hope and pray we continue to move forward.” Hartz Chicken Bu et is located at 800 Bienville Blvd., Ocean Springs. Half Shell Oyster House has locations in downtown Biloxi, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi, and in Gulfport. The Rackhouse is located at 1301 26th Avenue, in Gulfport. Hartz Chicken Bu et and Gulf Coast Restaurant Group properties are members of the Mississippi Coast Restaurant & Beverage Association.
nationwide, but they
are also an integral part
of our communities,
especially here along the
Mississippi Gulf Coast,
where food and family are
the fabric of our culture.
Hartz Chicken Bu et
has been a part of
the Ocean Springs
community since 1975
and has since been a
landmark. It stayed open
to customers throughout
the COVID-19
pandemic, even though
they saw a 40 percent drop in sales. “We were fortunate to have a drive-thru window to serve our customers while our dining room was closed,” said Carol Ault, owner, Hartz Chicken Bu et. “We felt that it was important to stay open and o er a healthy choice in dining.” The restaurant opened its dining room on June 2, following strict guidelines set by the Mississippi Department of Health and mandated by the O ce of the Governor. “All employees have been instructed in health department and COVID-19 regulations,” she said.
Gulf Coast Restaurant Group owns the Half Shell Oyster House properties and The Rackhouse on the Coast.