Hundreds of people flooded the Ikea store in East Palo Alto
Saturday, even causing a traffic jam, as the store opened for the first weekend
in more than three months.
The lines were so long it looked like customers were waiting
for a ride at Disneyland, with some people waiting two hours just to get
inside. Some customers drove more than 60 miles for the reopening.
“It feels good to get out but still, I am a little bit
scared and nervous,” sad Tiana Anderson of Oakland. “But you know, it’s just
great to be out and do some shopping.”
At one point, the parking garage filled up and there was
even a backup on Highway 101 at the offramp for the store.
Customers are required to wear a mask and the restaurant is closed.
On Saturday night, California Avenue closed to cars to allow
restaurants to put tables outside. The move lured dozens of diners to check out
the new ambiance.
Alisha Caunday and her family appreciated the change of
pace.
“We feel like we’re in another country,” Caunday said. “We
hope they do this all the time.”
Palo Alto Mayor Adrian Fine also dined al fresco, and he
said the street closure is paying off.
“This is just 100 parking spots, but there are well over 100
people out here tonight having dinner with their families,” he said. “This is
reimagining what this corridor can be.”
Opening a new restaurant during a pandemic is not ideal. But
the co-owner of Port of Peri Peri said the street closure helped.
“A lot of people want to come out and sit outside,” he said.
Source: NBC Bay Area
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