McMenamins Elks Temple in Tacoma to reopen Friday with safety measures in place

TACOMA, Wash. — McMenamins Elks Temple in Tacoma is reopening on Friday, but very slowly and cautiously.

When McMenamins remodeled and opened what had been the 114-year-old abandoned and dilapidated former Elks temple a little more than a year ago it was praised as a big part of Tacoma’s downtown renaissance.

Then came the coronavirus.

Like other businesses, McMenamins Elks Temple was forced to close its doors. The company laid off 3,000 workers at its restaurants and hotels in Washington and Oregon.

>> PHOTOS: Go inside the new McMenamins’ Elks Temple Hotel

On Friday, the 45 hotel rooms at the Elks Temple will reopen to guests with some pretty stringent safety guidelines.

In hotel rooms, “all surfaces have been wiped down using a COVID-19 lab-tested cleaner/sanitizer. All bedding, used and unused terrycloth and linens are changed between guests. Employees receive specific COVID-19 training that covers hand washing -- masks -- sanitization procedures and distancing.”

Restaurants in the Elks Temple remain closed except for take out orders. Guests are being encouraged to wear masks and maintain social distancing.

The company is opening seven of its 12 hotels on Friday. More will open soon and the company says they are “monitoring the COVID-19 situation and carefully following CDC and state guidelines along with instituting our own health and safety procedure.”

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