Upscale Hilton Head restaurant latest to close for summer as coronavirus cases rise
Hilton Head’s Lucky Rooster Kitchen and Bar is closed and isn’t expected to reopen again until after Labor Day.
Chef Clayton Rollison, owner of the upscale restaurant that brands itself as seasonal, Southern and adventurous, said he made the decision to close because of concerns about coronavirus cases in the community and among workers in the local hospitality industry.
“We just had to look at what’s going on. ... We were as busy as we could possibly be at house capacity,” he said. “Our staff was working their butts off, and we just didn’t want to continue to put them at risk.”
Rollison explained that larger restaurants have a greater ability to shuffle people when someone feels ill or needs to be off work while waiting for test results because of potential exposure. He said he didn’t think he could deliver the level of service expected from his restaurant amid the uncertainty of coronavirus.
“After Labor Day, we will call our staff back and get reopened,” he said.
In the meantime, Rollison’s second restaurant, Lucky Rooster Market Street in Coligny Plaza, remains open.
He said other restaurants have offered his employees temporary positions.
Rollison isn’t the only Hilton Head Island restaurateur to shut down temporarily as Beaufort County sees a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Main Street Cafe announced it would be closed until August, and Fat Baby’s Pizza said it would be closed for the summer. Other restaurants throughout Beaufort County have closed for shorter periods or modified service for employee testing or for deep cleaning.
Restaurants have been limited to 50 percent capacity by order of S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster. The order also set standards for spacing of tables and the size of parties seated together to maintain social distancing.
Hilton Head’s mask ordinance, approved by council Monday and set to take effect late Tuesday, requires masks in all commercial spaces, such as grocery stores, pharmacies, hotel lobbies, restaurants, retail stores and bars.
This story was originally published June 30, 2020 at 12:16 PM.
