Grassroots Coffee has set up a hand sanitizing station at its front door.

THOMASVILLE — One Thomasville restaurant closed its dining area Tuesday. Another, usually packed near the noon hour, had only one table of diners. Tables are being placed farther apart at a downtown restaurant.

At Rockbottom, Daniel Dollar said the restaurant’s dining room closed Tuesday. Business will be conducted at the take-out window.

“We feel like it’s coming anyway,” Dollar said, adding that the president appears to be headed in that direction.

Business is “a little off,” Dollar said.

George & Louie’s manager Melissa Thibodeau pointed out one table of diners at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, a time when the restaurant is usually packed with lunchtime diners.

Overall, she said,  business is down 30 to 40 percent, including takeout.

Thibodeau said that if the restaurant goes to takeout only, servers who depend heavily on tips will be hurt.

Grassroots has seen an increase in take-out and in prepackaged meals.

“We’ve had a certain percentage in decreases in eat-in meals,” said Grassroots Coffee Company manager Kerrie Fuller.

Caleb Brown, Jonah’s Fish & Grits owner, said business was down 20 percent during the weekend and 30 percent Monday.

“We’re expecting it may get worse,” Brown said. “We’re hoping for the best. We have to keep our faith.”

Dining tables are being placed farther apart at the restaurant to create distance between diners.

“We’re going to stay open until they make us close,” Brown said. “We’re taking our sanitation to another level.”

An online menu is in the works. Multiple food lines will replace the current single line.

Beginning Tuesday, The Scoop Deli & Ice Cream will close at 3 p.m. until further notice. The usual closing time is 5 p.m.

Business was down Monday and more so on Tuesday, said manager Stephanie Edenfield.

One diner was at The Scoop early Tuesday afternoon.

Edenfield is concerned about her employees if restaurants are forced to close or if business continues to decrease. Some employees have worked at the restaurant more than 15 years.

Decreasing hours will help reduce restaurant expenses, Edenfield said.

“That will offset some expenses and definitely offset income,” she added.