Madison Magazine June-July 2020 | Page 12

Bartender Heaven Blevins pours a pitcher of beer while clad in a mask and gloves at Madison Gardens. Sanitized & RESTAURANTS Throughout 2020, all agencies and industries have been adapting and changing as coronavirus has rocked any and all aspects of what once was regular life. The food service industry is no different. Having shut down, re-opened for curbside and pickup, and now retrofitting their entire locations to be able to serve fare with new, and unprecedented, measures — local eateries are trying their best to acclimate. Jason Vaughn, the manager of the Madison Gardens restaurant, said he has been dreaming of re-opening Richmond’s longtime favorite since Gov. Andy Beshear ordered him to close its doors in mid- March. On Friday, May 22, his dream — and that of many other commonwealth entrepreneurs — will come true, as eateries were permitted to open their inperson dining at 33% capacity, not including outside patios. “We are very excited to open. We are so ready,” Vaughn told The Register previously. “It has been way too long.” When the mandatory closure was enacted, Madison Gardens — famous for its wings and trivia — kept up service through curbside and to-go orders. Ready to Serve Story and photos by Taylor Six 12 Ryan Flannery disinfects the menus at Madison Gardens. Madison Magazine April-May 2020