Dave Pottinger was in the barber’s chair the first morning that shops could re-open under North Dakota’s new COVID-19 guidelines.

Pottinger saw a brief lull in the lineup at Town & Country Barber Shop Friday morning and claimed the spot.

“I stopped by another barber shop just to look and there were eight people waiting in line before it even opened,” he said.

Pottinger had just missed getting a needed haircut ahead of the governor’s March 28 executive order that closed shops due to the coronavirus pandemic. Consequently, he had to trim his own hair a couple of times last month and thought about having a family member cut it.

“But I wanted to get to a real barber,” said Pottinger, who admitted feeling good as he walked out of Town & Country with his new cut.

“Oh god, yes. I feel 10 pounds lighter,” he said.

Gov. Doug Burgum let expire executive orders affecting barber shops, cosmetology salons, restaurants, bars, movie theaters and fitness centers, placing them under new distancing and hygiene guidelines for re-opening on Friday.

SOS Image owner Sara Dufner said the salon is booking out into coming weeks, and the most popular service after more than a month of closure is hair coloring.

“We are slammed. It’s unbelievable,” Dufner said of the calls for appointments. SOS Image is complying with new state guidelines by having customers wait in their vehicles until called. The number of open styling stations has been limited to three to put extra space between stations. Customers get a spray of hand sanitizer when they come and share a foot kick in place of a hug, said Dufner, who added she saw a lot of smiles on the first day back.

Members coming to the SOS Image’s fitness center also have been excited to be back and are doing their part to abide by the new rules, Dufner said.

The Minot Family YMCA announced plans to re-open in phases beginning May 6. New hours are Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Only those age 17 and older are allowed from 5 to 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with sub-area closings for cleaning between 2 and 3 p.m. Individuals ages 60 and older or at high health risk have exclusive use of the facility from 8 to 10 a.m. All ages are invited after 3 p.m.

On Saturday and Sunday, the YMCA will keep the same schedule but will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

No guest passes will be issued during the first phase of reopening, and masks are recommended for members and staff. Members must perform a self-verification of health before entering. Entrances and exits will be separate to comply with social distancing, and capacity in the building will be limited. Some equipment will be blocked off to ensure social distancing. Locker rooms, the pool and child care services will be closed. A full list of the new policies can be found at ymcaminot.org.

Forever Fitness announced it is planning a May 20 opening.

Anytime Fitness opened Friday at the north location and posted on Facebook that it will open the south location Monday. The fitness center won’t be open 24/7, but will be available to members throughout daytime hours on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Members are advised to maintain a six-foot distance from each other, keeping every other piece of cardio equipment open.

Spectrum Fitness began offering massage again, and fitness classes have re-started, although class sizes are kept small.

Meanwhile, restaurants and bars that had been closed to in-house customers since March 19 were free to re-open.

However, Charlie’s Main Street Cafe is continuing to operate with just curbside pickup and delivery for now.

“My priority is the health of my employees, our family and our customers,” said owner Tiffany Craig. “I feel like the guidelines don’t really protect the staff or the customers.”

Additionally, the distancing requirements would take away from the intimate atmosphere that Charlie’s is known for, she said.

Customers have been supportive of the decision to stick with the pickup and delivery, which had been expanded from Charlie’s usual breakfast and lunch to include evening service.

“It’s working right now so we want to keep doing what we are doing,” Craig said.

Also in downtown Minot, Ebeneezer’s was still filling pickup orders but not allowing seating – a situation expected to continue for at least another two weeks. The Starving Rooster opened to seating with limited hours and a limited menu.

In southwest Minot, Homesteaders Restaurant opened under the new guidelines that call for six-foot spacing between tables. The restaurant will remain open with the same hours as before the closure and a full menu minus the salad bar. According to one staff member, Homesteaders’ regular customers were glad to be back on Friday, expressing how much they had missed the restaurant.

Bars are facing some new rules as they open as well. For instance, Bootlegrz in Minot reports being back to regular hours but with greater seat spacing, plastic cups and only electronic pull-tabs for gaming.

As for Minot’s theaters, neither Oak Park nor AMC at Dakota Square have announced re-openings.