'Phone just keeps going off:' Under new order, Milwaukee businesses chart different reopening plans

MILWAUKEE -- Retail, salons and barbershops now have the green light to get back to work in Milwaukee after the city modified its health order earlier this week.

Some businesses took advantage of the new order's guidelines on Saturday. Others are being more patient.

For the first time in more than two months, Jeanette Dvorak rang up a customer's purchase inside Mainstream Boutique now that the city is allowing retailers to do so.

Jeanette Dvorak

"As soon as they said we could do one-on-one appointments, I started doing that immediately, and I had ladies contacting me right away," Dvorak said.

Her doors in the Historic Third Ward are open with safety protocols in place. All employees wear masks, and only five customers can be in the stop at a time. They're asked to sanitize as they come in, while employees clean what they touch.

"We're steaming items and asking people to leave the items in the fitting room, so we can steam them before putting them out," said Dvorak.

Mainstream Boutique

A little further south in Bay View, Jose Perez knows he can reopen his Flashy Faded Barbershop. His clients know, too. But Perez doesn't feel comfortable doing that just yet.

Jose Perez

"My phone just keeps going off. It's crazy," he said.

He's working to secure more disinfectants and even looking at alternate ways to keep the shop clean, like covering parts of the chair with plastic wrap and spraying that versus continuing to use costly wipes.

"I just feel like it's too soon. Like, I can't just open up the sign and not have deep cleaned everything and just rush into it," said Perez. "I'd rather be safe than sorry."

Flashy Faded Barbershop

He hopes that an eventual return to business this week -- like a fresh fade -- can be as smooth as possible.

Both business owners have plans to limit their hours initially, providing more time to clean and disinfect after customers come inside.