Sidetrack Bar and Grill is open for dine-in customers as of Monday, June 15, with new outdoor seating options, modified hours, and numerous coronavirus-related safety measures in place. 

First closed on March 16, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the iconic depot-town restaurant had been offering curbside pickup and delivery options, and will continue to do so while dine-in options have resumed.  

The restaurant’s hours are shortened this week as the staff eases into the reopening, according to their Facebook page. Sidetrack’s hours of operation for the week of June 15:

Monday - Thursday: 4 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Friday - Saturday: 11 a.m. - 1 a.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

One of the restaurant’s parking lots has been turned into an outdoor seating area, which is an addition to the already existing outdoor patio areas. Seating has also been expanded out into the road as of Tuesday. Indoor seating is also available.

Sidetrack’s website features a list of all coronavirus prevention measures that are in place as customers return to dining-in. According to the site, employees are given daily temperature checks, the restaurant’s layout has been modified for social distancing, all employees are wearing masks, and tables and other frequently-touched surfaces are disinfected regularly.

The company is also asking customers to wear a mask when not seated at a table, and to maintain six feet of distance between other customers.

According to Sidetrack bartender Cora Thomason, business has been booming in the restaurant’s first two days with dine-in seating. 

“We’re doing fabulous, for a Monday and Tuesday business is great, and the guests seem super enthusiastic and patient. We’ve got the best guests in all of Ypsilanti,” Thomason said. 

Thomason also said that training on coronavirus-related procedures at the restaurant has been very thorough, and that the extra precautions have started to feel like second-nature. She also said that customers have been very patient and understanding of the new procedures.

“The spirit of the customers really shines through, and everyone is being really patient and understanding about the limitations that the procedures have imposed. People are okay with the fact that the dining room looks half empty and there’s a line in the door, because they understand why,” Thomason said.

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