How Seattle-area businesses are dealing with King County’s new ‘show proof of COVID vaccine or test’ rule

A new King County rule, which went into effect Monday, requires guests to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test to dine in bars and restaurants, exercise in gyms, and indoor entertainment venues like theaters and museums to enjoy king county. The new rule also applies to conferences and conventions, as well as all large outdoor gatherings with more than 500 people – although children under 12 who are not yet eligible for a vaccine are exempt.

So far, one day after the rule was implemented, entrepreneurs have mixed feelings about the new requirement.

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Many restaurant and bar owners in the Seattle area have already required proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test for diners who dine at the restaurant. And some Seattle museum heads and business owners are excited about the new measure, which health officials say could help slow the spread of the virus. However, other Seattle businesses say they have already lost customers due to vaccination requirements, and the owners don’t want another regulation that they claim harms small businesses, especially at a time when they are already facing issues like labor shortages have to fight.

Leonard Garfield, executive director of the Seattle Museum of History and Industry, looked forward to the vaccination requirement and the impact it has on museum visitors.

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“We believe the net effect will be making our visitors and our community feel more secure knowing that everyone around them at this venue is fully vaccinated and ready to enjoy life, knowing that they are healthy and safe, ”he said.

Other museums, including the Burke Museum and Wing Luke Museum, which don’t open until later this week, also expect everything to go smoothly for their guests.

Jeff Brein, who owns Seattle-based Far Away Entertainment, is also optimistic – but cautious – about the impact of the new regulation on his two Seattle theaters: the Varsity Theater in the University District and the Historic Admiral Theater in the North Admiral neighborhood .

He said Far Away Entertainment had received emails from customers in the past four or five months saying they would not return to the cinema unless there is a vaccination policy. He hopes that the cinemas will see an increase in the number of visitors with the proof of compulsory vaccination. If so, Far Away Entertainment could consider rolling the mandate to theaters in other counties or running showtimes just for vaccines.

However, some entrepreneurs are already seeing negative consequences from the requirement.

Transform 180, a personal training gym with locations in Belltown and South Lake Union, lost 15% of its membership in the days leading up to vaccine or test requests, according to owner Charith Madawela. He said his earnings have not recovered anywhere near pre-pandemic levels and the loss of members is a huge blow. Many of his former clients still do not come to training despite being vaccinated because they do not want to train with a mask, he said.

Justin Young, who owns Flow Fitness’s two Seattle locations, said he felt it was unfair for the government to keep putting in place new pandemic restrictions that harm small businesses without helping them cope with costs.

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John Carrico, who owns the NW Fitness Gym in downtown Seattle with his wife, Jess, said they also lost several gym members and an employee who refused to be vaccinated because of the requirement. He said about 250 out of 450 gym members have already submitted their vaccination cards, but he is frustrated with the amount of work that will go into tracking down the other 200 who may have missed his email or not been vaccinated.

“Unfortunately, we have got used to the fact that we have to adapt to some form of regulation almost every three months for the past two years,” said Carrico. “It just piles up the work for our already taxed team.”

But he said they could get some new members who are now comfortable with the need to be vaccinated, which could help make up for the loss of members they have seen so far.

For Michelle Cozzaglio, co-owner and curator of the Oddities & Curiosities Expo, which is coming to the Washington State Convention Center on October 30, the new regulation has become a major hurdle – especially the requirement that non-vaccinated participants have to demonstrate a negative coronavirus test within 72 hours of the event.

Cozzaglio, who is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has heard from customers who bought their tickets weeks and months ago who say testing delays could cause them to miss the event.

“I had to refund people money and we don’t usually have refunds,” she said. Additionally, the expo – bringing together vendors of dark art, taxidermy, and other cabinet-of-curiosity-type merchandise – had to suspend staffing to ensure all attendees were complying with the new regulation.

Some Seattle restaurant owners see the requirement as another barrier to profitability in an industry that has been particularly hard hit by past pandemic regulations and labor shortages. They also fear that the request will put additional pressure on employees.

“Many restaurants struggled to hire workers during the pandemic, and adding front door staff to check vaccine status created additional challenges,” said Steve Hooper, president of the Ethan Stowell Restaurants group in Seattle. Stowell said in August that he had to postpone the reopening of some of his restaurants because he couldn’t find the staff to run them.

Bart Evans, the owner of Bluwater Bistro in Seattle’s Leschi neighborhood, is so supportive of vaccinations that he will turn his dining room into a vaccination clinic on October 27, but even he has mixed feelings about customer demands because he is concerned makes how it’s going to prevail.

“Our staff are fully vaccinated,” said Evans. “It’s only fair that we expect that from our customers.”

However, he is concerned about enabling his staff to shut people out of the restaurant. His employees are used to welcoming people and not acting as bouncers.

“It’s not a role we like to play or are used to,” said Evans. “We’re not a nightclub in Pioneer Square.”

Seattle Times reporters Brendan Kiley and Crystal Paul both contributed to this story.

Jade Yamazaki Stewart:
jstewart@seattletimes.com; Jade Yamazaki Stewart is an intern with the Seattle Times. You can reach him at jstewart@seattletimes.com or on Instagram at @jade_vs_food.