Sept 17, 2020 update:
We are open and customers seem to really enjoy the outside dining and the lake view. With the temperature becoming very pleasant, the outside option seems to be more popular than ever. Everyone seems to be having a great time, but let's not let our guard down just yet or be complacent. Let's keep up the social distancing and be. Obviously this thing is not over yet. We truly appreciate the support during these unusual times.
May 19, 2020 Update:
The Point Restaurant will reopen at 11:00 am Thursday May 21,
and the Bar will reopen Friday May 22
As we all know there is a concerted effort by the federal government and most states to reopen the economy. Not necessarily everywhere, yet, however Texas is moving in that direction with a projection of June 1st for most openings. Currently restaurants can operate at 50% capacity and starting Friday May 22, bars will be allowed to open at 25% capacity.
The Point will follow these guidelines. We will have limited seating in the main dining room and bar because of the required six foot separation of tables and limit on capacity. Our outside seating will be arranged according to the same mandates.
Our goal is to take an overly aggressive approach to social distancing protocols. We will follow these guidelines to a greater degree than required by law.
Please help us create a safe enjoyable atmosphere for our customers as well as for our employees by respecting the wishes of those who want to take the greatest protective actions.
Update as of April 30, 2020
As most everyone knows, the Governor has authorized various businesses to reopen May 1st. This includes restaurants at 25% capacity, but does not include bars. Although we are eager to reopen and resume having fun at The Point, we have decided that, for the sake of a better term, we don't want to be the "Test Bed". At the present time everyone is safe and we want it to stay that way.
We expect Governor Abbott to makes the next positive reopening moves on May 18, increasing capacity to 50%, including opening bars. In anticipation that this will happen, we will reopen on Thursday May 21. Mark your calendar and come on out and lets make it a memorable reunion.
We are going to employ safety protocols so we don't take any unnecessary chances. In the last several month society has proven we have the ability to adapt to social distancing. We ask that all our employees and customers participate in an aggressive effort to maintain the social distancing according to current or amended standards. To put it bluntly, these days, there is nothing cool about shaking hands, hugging, and especially having cavalier attitude.
When you walk up to someone to give them a hug, especially how, you put them in a precarious position of not knowing what to do. In most cases people will abandon their better judgment in order not to appear rude. A better idea is to keep track of how many hugs you are missing and stack them up. You can get them later, all at once maybe, what a deal! When this is all over we'll have "Hugfest at The Point".
Think of this whole thing like you think of Halloween. On Halloween you aren't embarrassed to wear a mask. This whole thing is totally scary anyway, so until further notice, it's Halloween at The Point, so if you want to wear a mask, do it and don't be embarrassed.
I just ask that everyone make every effort to keep those around you safe. Look at it this way, take the necessary steps to protect others, ever if you are not concerned about yourself. Doing so shows you care.
We truly appreciate your patronage and look forward to seeing everyone real soon.
Steve
Update as of April 18, 2020
To our Team Members and valued Customers -
** Most Recent Update ** - The next update from the various government agencies will be on April 27. As of the latest update, restaurants and bars were not on phase one for opening. We will keep watching, hopefully it will be sooner than later. In the mean time, all the closures are for a good reason and although I don't prefer to be closed, I am more than willing to do my part for the better good for society.
** CARES ACT - Paycheck Protection Program **- I am working on this government loan. It was first made available yesterday Friday, May 3. The purpose of the loan is to keep everyone on the payroll. It will cover regular pay and reported tips for an eight week period. If I am able to get this loan it will keep the paychecks coming for the next two months. I am working diligently to get this done.
Update as of April 4, 2020
SBA Economic Disaster Assistance Loan - All 50 states have been declared disaster areas due to the COVID-19 situation. I have applied for a loan under this provision also. The reason for this loan is so we will be in a sound financial position, enough so that we will be able to reopen within a few day of being notified that the government stay at home orders are lifted and that dine-in restaurants can reopen.
Summary: Although there are many unknowns right now, I personally believe the future is bright. That is the way I've always been and that is the way I am going to stay. The most important thing right now is to protect ourselves and our families, nothing is more important than that. As long as we have done that, we need to be ready to reengage ourselves in the economy and be part of the economic recovery as soon as we are able. I will be ready and I hope all of you will be ready too. I believe our customers will certainly be ready. Please stay safe and expect something good to happen, because it ultimately will.
To our Team Members and Customers
March 17, 2020
We are experiencing a most unusual time in history. Since this is happening to us right now, it seem like it is the worst thing the world has ever experienced. There have been others, before this one, such as the 911 attacks on September 11, 2001. On that day I was the captain on an American Airlines B-727 Jetliner, flying from DFW to Detroit. When it all happened, were in the air and we started hearing chatter on the air traffic control radio. We realized that something really bad was happening at that moment. I remember a deep sickening and fearful felling of the unknown.
The day before, I had been at Newark airport just across the river from Manhattan. I remember taxing out, the afternoon of September 10, and I recall the most beautiful blue sky and the crystal clear New York City skyline. The next morning it all changed. I was in Detroit for a week, as the world shut down. I wanted to be home worse than anything, but I couldn't get there. As bad as it was at that time, we got through it. And just like that one, we will get through this too. There will be stories to tell, surely, but we will get though it. This time around, rather than spending the longest week in history in Detroit, we have to spend time at home. We will all be missing The Point. I hope everyone does.
As of today, March 17th, the city of Fort Worth announced that all restaurants have to close except for pickup, delivery or drive through. Essentially, this means we are required to shut down the The Point restaurant and bar. No one wants a disruption in business, I certainly don't, as the best part of the year for The Point is upon us. However, all things considered, It is our duty as citizens of the United States, and the world for that matter, to do what is necessary, to do what is right, and to do our part to protect as many people as possible. Sometimes we as citizens have to speak up for the good of everyone. There are lots of situation where citizens just sit by and let bad things happen. Well, for better or worse, I'm not one of those people. I'm not afraid to pitch in and do my part even if there is a direct cost to me.
When the first instructions from the City of Fort Worth did no match the instructions from the Trump Administration, I was somewhat perplexed at how we in Fort Worth had decided not to participate with the rest of the country. I talked to a friend today who lives in Lima, Peru, and he told me they are doing, in Peru, essentially what Trump advised us to do here in the U.S. In Fort Worth though, we were implementing a loose watered down version of what was required. All that being said, I am glad we are now part of the responsible community that has decided to do our part. Again, I don't like losing money any more than anyone else, but we preach being good steward of the earth and doing the right thing by our fellow man, well, it's time to do exactly that. It might hurt a little, but not as much if we do nothing.
To our Customers:
We at The Point feel a kinship toward everyone that comes in. We have had many of the same customers for 20 years. Our goal is to protect all our customer as well as our employees. Those of you who know us well will acknowledge that we are all more like family to each other than anything else. We truly appreciate your patronage, and above all, not only do we feel like you are family, it is our job to treat you like family.
Once we have the go-ahead, we will make an announcement and we'll have a grand reopening. Until then, I will try to keep everyone updated on any information I think you would like to know. Again, please be careful out there and stay safe.
Below is a letter I wrote to the employees yesterday. Below that is a letter I wrote to Betsy Price, the Fort Worth Mayor. Sometimes being a responsible citizen is not fun, but it is always the right thing to do.
March 16, 2020
Hello Team,
As we are all aware, the coronavirus has taken its toll on many businesses. The NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball, Disneyland and many more have suspended their seasons and operations. Professional golf has been put on hold for a month, maybe longer. We are now seeing mass public school closings including colleges and universities all over the county. These are actions that have been taken in the U.S. and of course the same has happened all over the world. The underlying premise for all this is “the best prevention for the coronavirus is to avoid getting it, to stop the transmission.” As simple as it sounds that is what it has come down to. We are all now tasked with doing everything we possibly can not to spread the virus.
If anyone has any doubt whether this is real, the stock market has taken a dive like we have seen only in the worst times such as after the 911 attacks and the 2008 financial meltdown. As a reference, before this all started just last months, the stock market was at its all-time high with the Dow (the Dow is essentially an index average of the 30 top-preforming U.S. companies) at 29,551 on February 12, 2020. Last week we had one day alone where the market dropped 2300 points. This is an almost unheard-of number for one day. The next day the market recovered by going up almost 1900 points and people were happy. What they failed to remember is in the prior few weeks it had already dropped over 5000 points. Today, March 16, the market opened down another 1000+ points and quickly went down another 1200 points within the first hour. As of this morning the market was down 2,250 points to 20,935. The stock market is down almost 9000 points total.
In economics, there are indicators of how the economy is doing and the stock market, as we all know, is one of the most prominent. Another is “consumer confidence” which represents what the average person thinks. This is measured by how much money we go out and spend, how often we go to restaurants, stores, go on vacations, etc. Basically, if we are not concerned about anything, as a society, we spend. If we are spooked, we don’t spend, we hoard, we buy more than we need of everything, like toilet paper. If we are really spooked, we do all that plus we stay at home. All indications are, we are really spooked.
Although these indicators are not a perfect science, generally they help us predict what is going to happen. Unfortunately, this time, Federal Reserve Bank Chairman, Jerome Powell, stated the coronavirus poses evolving risks to economic activity. This certainly does not do much to boost consumer confidence. He said this time around, he can’t predict when things will improve. I believe there will be more business closures including restaurants.
The CDC (Center for Disease Control) recommended yesterday that all gatherings of 50 people or more be put off for the next 8 weeks, that is until at least May 15. Further, that events of any size should only be continued if they can be carried out with adherence to guidelines for protecting “vulnerable populations, “hand hygiene”, and “social distancing.” Obviously, the less people gather, the less likely the disease will be transmitted from one person to another. Again, stopping the transmission is the goal. You will see people who think it is humorous to be complacent about all this. The truth is, anyone who ignores this is “not cool”, what they really are is “not smart.” Don’t let this dangerous attitude influence you. Again, please be smart.
Vulnerable populations are older adults and people with heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease. Hand hygiene is washing your hands with soap and hot water for 20 seconds after being in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Social distancing in the simplest term means to avoid touching and keep a distance of at least 6 feet, to being quarantined for 14 days to 28 days. Basically, don’t shake hands, don’t hug, just don’t do it until this thing is under control. Be Coronavirus Smart.
I believe an important thing to remember about all this is we should protect ourselves, but we also need to remember that as a good steward of society, it is our duty to protect others too. With this in mind, please go to this CDC webpage and take their suggestions seriously: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html
The purpose of giving you this information is to have us all understand that normally the ability for businesses to keep operating depends on the willingness of consumers to travel out and spend money. In these unusual times however, it also depends on the government. As of this morning, the state of Kentucky and Michigan have stated they will be closing all bars and restaurants. Ohio, California, and New York announced similar bans yesterday. We will have to see what Texas and Fort Worth do. This is a very active and dynamic situation and by the time I finish writing this letter and deliver it to you, I am certain things will have changed again.
In the meantime, please continue the policy of cleaning with the bleach and water mixture we recently started using. Make an effort to clean on a continual basis. A good policy is if you are not doing something else, you should have a spray bottle in your hand and be using it. We need to take extraordinary steps now. Please do everything you can to help protect everyone.
Finally, I want you to know that our policy at The Point is to stay home if you are feeling sick. If your temperature is 100.4 or higher you need to investigate and follow proper guidelines for protecting yourself, your family, and anyone you come in contact with.
I will keep you informed as things change. When time permits, I will put information on our web site. The web address is: ThePointOnLakeWorth.com.
I truly appreciate everything all of you do.
Thanks,
Steve
Ref: Coronavirus Pandemic:
Taking decisive action and making the correct decisions about the coronavirus is paramount. Being good stewards within society, now more than ever, means working together as a nation, working in unison with all citizens of the country, to defeat the virus, not devising our own lesser plan.
The reason the Trump Administration has taken the steps it has, is because of statistical analysis on how to best defeat the “spread of the virus”, in the shortest time period. Simply put, the 15 days of very strict "Social Distance" guidelines by the Trump Administration is to identify infected individuals while everyone is essentially quarantined. Once identified, the infected individuals will take one of four paths (while receiving medical care and being quarantined with their entire family for an additional two weeks): a mild case, hospitalization, emergency room critical care, or the morgue. The timeline is the critical issue and success depends on compliance with the same guidelines. Anything else makes the whole process less effective and destroys the timeline.
The greater the effort to confine individuals now and eliminate the spread of the virus, results in less individuals being infected and less individuals falling into the last of the four paths defined above. For this to work, in the shortest term, we all must participate. This is truly a life or death situation, as we all know, and making our own rules when the best minds available in the country have made a determination of the best course of action, is short sighted at very least and can be the cause of mass unnecessary deaths and financial devastation at the worst. Ignoring the guidelines and not participating in the nation’s effort to “Flatten the Curve”, in accordance with those guidelines, is completely irresponsible.
The President has pleaded with all citizens of the country to cooperate by following the same guidelines. Considering the statistical analysis, if some citizens are compliant and other are not, it will create an extended period where deaths, the financial markets and the potential negative aftermath, such as a recession, are far worse. Fort Worth needs to take extraordinary steps now, not just nurse it along letting everyone else in the country suffer the pain of compliance while we take the easy way out.
The Fort Worth mayor is following a loose set of guidelines that are not in concert with the country. This is a dangerous course of action and creates a very significant health risk for everyone in the country, not just Fort Worth. I would urge the City of Fort Worth to follow the guidelines put out by the Trump Administration, in its entirety. I would urge the city to close all bars, restaurants (except takeout), and gatherings greater than ten individuals should be discouraged to the greatest degree. This crisis applies to every citizen of the country and letting others fix it without our full participation is not living up to the fiduciary we all have as American citizens.
I personally know a PhD Economist that will be glad to explain the statistical details to the mayor. Now is the time for decisive action and maybe understanding in greater detail will help the mayor make the correct decision.
Thank you,
Steve Leach