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Local restaurants bemoan COVID-19 restrictions suspending indoor dining

5 min read
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Local restaurant owners say Gov. Tom Wolf’s decision to close indoor dining for three weeks beginning Saturday is another devastating blow to their industry just as they were hoping for a little extra holiday income.

“Sick. I’m sick. And right before Christmas, you know what I mean?” said Benjamin Venick, who owns Rizz’s restaurant in Uniontown. “They’re ruining the small businessman. It’s just a shame. It hurts.”

Venick said he’s already lost all of the roughly 20 Christmas parties originally scheduled at his restaurant due to the worsening COVID-19 pandemic, so the new restrictions announced Thursday afternoon are another blow to his already battered business.

“I know it’s bad out there, but how are you going to do this to small business people and keep everything open,” he said. “I just don’t understand his whole reasoning behind restaurants and bars. You can go to Walmart, Home Depot and Lowe’s. If you’re going to shut something down, shut everything down.”

The governor is allowing restaurants, bars and breweries to continue outdoor dining or offer takeout, but that’s little consolation to the eateries that have already seen business plummet as coronavirus cases surge, prompting people to stay home. Wolf said Thursday that there’s evidence from multiple studies that shows indoor dining can transmit COVID-19. Concert venues, fitness centers and other indoor recreation facilities have also been shut down for three weeks as part of the order.

“It’s really unfortunate,” said Michael Williamson, whose family owns Solomon’s Seafood in Washington. “Anybody who knows the industry knows that the Thanksgiving to Christmas window is normally the most profitable part of the year and helps carry us over during slower times of the year.”

While he’s unhappy with the governor’s ruling, his restaurant plans to abide by the orders and pivot to takeout meals and family-style catering for the holidays.

“We don’t like the rule. We don’t think it’s accurate, as far as the science goes,” Williamson said. “But as long as the governor’s rules are in effect, we’re going to follow them … as we have the entire time.”

Chuck Moran, executive director of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association, said the lobbyist group has been anticipating such a “shutdown” for some time, but it still will have painful consequences on the industry.

“Once again, small business taverns and licensed restaurants are bearing the brunt of the mitigation order with no financial or legislative help on the horizon,” Moran said.

“We get that the virus is contagious. We get that the number of confirmed cases and hospitalizations are increasing. What we don’t get is why our state government has asked the industry to sacrifice so much, but continues to sacrifice the industry,” he added.

EJ Kleckner, who owns Rusty Gold Brewing, expected a shutdown would happen this month, so he already planned to close his brewery in Canonsburg for the last two weeks of December. The shutdown will cost him only five open operating days, but it will have a ripple effect on the beer he distributes to area restaurants that were calling him this week to cancel orders.

“I haven’t even been able to think about what we’re going to do,” he said.

They have to plan food orders two weeks ahead, and the brewing process can take weeks from start to finish, he said. But Kleckner is somewhat appreciative of having the Jan. 4 deadline when the governor’s order is expected to expire.

“It makes it really tough to gauge when information comes out one day and then a couple days later something else comes out,” he said. “What restrictions will change and what will be in effect? At least there is a timeline. We’ve got three solid weeks to plan something going forward.”

Kleckner acknowledged that the pandemic won’t be over in January, so he hopes another federal stimulus bill currently being negotiated in Congress can lessen the financial blow.

“We’ll survive. I’m not happy about it. But we’ll get by,” Kleckner said. “I’m still optimistic about getting some future help down the road.”

Meanwhile, Venick isn’t sure what will happen to his Uniontown restaurant, but he pleaded with the public to support him and other locally owned eateries over the next three weeks.

“Asking for a favor to help everyone out. Shop local,” Venick said. “Help the small man out. That’s the only thing I’m asking.”

Williamson had a similar message for his customers to support the “staples of the community,” and he even asked them to also order takeout from other family-owned restaurants in Washington, such as Angelo’s and Union Grill.

“If you want to see local business survive, you should consider spending your dollars there. It’s time for those people to be taken care of, too,” Williamson said. “Don’t let these people go out of sight and out of mind. We need those people now more than ever.”

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