Businesses on Vashon have been making changes as King County rolled out a new vaccination verification policy as of Monday, Oct. 25.

As part of the new policy, people ages 12 and older are now required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID test prior to entering certain indoor and outdoor establishments and events in King County.

According to King County, patrons in establishments are able to provide proof of vaccination in several ways, including presenting a vaccination card or a photo of the card, a digital vaccine record from myirmobile.com or app, or a printed record from a vaccine provider.

At The Hardware Store Restaurant, the staff is checking vaccination records of patrons and also keeps a log of its regular customers who they know to have been vaccinated.

Pete Chorak, Jr., of Sporty’s, said his restaurant and bar is also keeping a log of regular customers who have shown their vaccination cards once. Chorak, citing Vashon’s high vaccination rate, said that he believes that almost all of his customers are vaccinated. However, he did say that his staff asks to see the vaccination cards of individuals if they are unsure whether the person is vaccinated or not.

Gravy, Vashon Brewing Community Pub and Casa Bonita are also checking vaccination records for all customers entering their establishments.

Chris McConnell, manager of O Sole Mio and its accompanying bar, The Frontier Room, said that staff was checking the vaccination status of customers in both of those settings as well.

“We’re doing what we got to do,” he said.

Adam Cone and Megan Hastings, who are co-owners of Snapdragon Bakery & Cafe and Home Sweet Home Bar, said that almost all of their seating has moved outdoors, with seating areas both in front of and in back of their eateries and bar. Most of the indoor seating has been removed from their restaurant, they said, and much of their bakery business is take-out.

Cone said that the new requirement to check vaccination status for those few patrons who were dining indoors was frustrating and made the already difficult business of running their business even more difficult. However, he said, “we’re navigating this in the most polite way we can.”

For chef and owner of Bramble House Lia Lira, her restaurant is requiring proof of vaccination with matching photo ID for guests joining them for indoor dining. For those who are unable to get vaccinated, Bramble House also has a covered back patio with propane heaters available for outside dining.

“My main focus throughout all of this is to keep our staff and guests safe and comfortable while still providing a break from regular life,” said Lira.

Restaurants and bars on Vashon are not the only ones making changes—Vashon Athletic Club (VAC) president Nick Maier explained that VAC has linked members’ vaccination status through their membership account. All members are required to scan in with their membership card prior to entry, which allows them to easily manage vaccine verifications.

All moviegoers at Vashon Theatre are also required to show proof of vaccination, said owner Eileen Wolcott, with the exception of children who are too young to be vaccinated.

“I think that for some people it’s a relief to know everyone in the building has been vaccinated,” said Wolcott, who has repeatedly pivoted throughout the pandemic to conform to evolving COVID regulations that have severely impacted Vashon’s historic, single-screen movie theater.

At Vashon Center for the Arts, proof of vaccination requirement for audience members was already in place, prior to King County’s deadline. According to Allison Halstead Reid, VCA’s executive director, many performing artists now specify in their contracts that all attendees must be vaccinated as a condition for performing at the arts center. VCA requires ticket holders to show both a vaccination card with a matching photo ID for admission to performances.

Patrons who may not be vaccinated, including children under 12, are required to show documentation proving a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to the performance.