Texas is showing the world how to reopen cautiously

A lot of Texans appear to have adopted a similar mentality, either seeking out convenience or necessities. Supercuts has seen visits surge past where they were a year ago, according to foot traffic data on more than 30 standalone locations monitored by SafeGraph, an analytics firm that tracks mobile phones. Traffic to Walmart, which has remained open because it’s deemed an essential retailer for its grocery, is also above 2019.

That’s not to say people aren’t indulging. They’re flooding Whataburger, a drive-thru chain that in March added the ability to deliver its sweet & spicy bacon burger to your parked car. Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q, with more than 30 restaurants in the state, also has a robust pick-up business and its customer traffic drastically rebounded over the past month. Trips to Starbucks and Baskin-Robbins are almost back to normal, according to SafeGraph.

Meanwhile, malls all over the state are struggling to lure back customers. Hotel transactions, including bookings, have only rebounded 37% since hitting a nadir on March 22, according to Shift4…

Airports are largely empty. At Dallas Fort Worth International, the second largest airport in the country, scheduled daily departures are averaging about 500, roughly half the rate from February, according to tracking website Flightradar24. Offices can reopen, but many haven’t, instead opting to keep their staff working from home.