Tiburon Peninsula businesses welcome pandemic reopening but remain cautious

Yema Khalif (right) of clothing boutique Yema greets shoppers Jacob Lehrbaum, daughter Violet and wife Shady (left) on June 19. Employees are still wearing face masks after the full statewide reopening, but customers are on the honor system. (Elliot Karlan / For The Ark)

As California officially reopened its economy June 15 — removing most pandemic-related restrictions on business and social activities, including allowing vaccinated residents to remove their face masks in almost all scenarios — Rustic Bakery owner Carol LeValley was eager to serve customers again but would stick exclusively to outdoor seating for the time being.

She was one of several Tiburon Peninsula business owners who are cheering the long-anticipated return to some semblance of pre-pandemic normalcy while also making it clear they intend to play it safe at first, mostly by retaining capacity limits.

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