2 Chainz We've Changed Our Minds ... ATL Joints Will Not Reopen!!!
UPDATE
2:40 PM PT -- That didn't take long. Less than 24 hours after 2 Chainz's business partner and co-owner Snoop Dillard told us they were going to reopen their ATL joints, they're now saying it's a no-go. Dillard tells TMZ, "After careful consideration, we are not going to open our restaurants on Monday. It has not officially been decided when we will start having dine-in service."
UPDATE
Smart move.
Escobar season has returned for 2 Chainz ... the rapper is reopening his Atlanta restaurants for sit-down service, and he says he has a plan for keeping folks safe from COVID-19.
Both of 2 Chainz's joints, Escobar Restaurant and Tapas, are serving dine-in meals starting Monday -- his business partner and co-owner, Snoop Dillard, tells TMZ -- and they're making public safety a top priority.
Escobar restaurants were strictly doing take-out orders due to coronavirus restrictions, but with Georgia's Governor paving the way for businesses to reopen -- in many cases recklessly -- 2 Chainz is getting people back to work.
We're told sales at both locations have been down 95% during the shutdown, and the restaurants were forced to furlough around 80% of its staff.
With dine-in service coming back, Snoop says they're planning to bring back 65% of restaurant staff -- 80 people -- and the hope is to have everyone back at work eventually.
As you know ... a debate is raging over Georgia's plan to reopen its economy. Governor Brian Kemp is giving the green light, but Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is urging people to be responsible and cautious and stay home.
2 Chainz's restaurants are trying to have the best of both worlds, and they think they will be able to host sit-down service safely.
We're told safety precautions at the restaurants include staff having their temperatures checked when they clock in, mandatory gloves for all employees, masks for the cooks and single-use paper menus.
Any staff member showing coronavirus symptoms will be asked to go home and quarantine for 14 days.
We're also told the restaurants are bringing back hookahs, which will be cleaned and sanitized frequently. Most folks bring their own hoses anyways.
And, on the weekends, we're told live DJs will return to both locations ... 2 Chainz and Snoop say the DJs need to make a living as well, but things aren't going into full party mode yet. They even paid a few DJs to come in and spin when it was take-out only -- just to brighten people's days.
2 Chainz and Snoop donated hundreds of meals to medical workers on the frontlines ... and we're told they're planning to give more free meals to workers at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Piedmont Atlanta Hospital.
Originally Published -- 12:50 AM PT
