As of Friday July 17, customers will now be allowed to dine inside restaurants, with limited capacities as part of the province’s Stage 3 reopening plan.
But is it safe or too soon for people to rush back into their favourite restaurants?
St. Louis Bar & Grill manager Amber Morrison states they are “excited” to welcome guests back for indoor dining and are committed to taking extra precautions.
“We are introducing new practices to ensure the safety of our staff and guests,” asserts Morrison. “We ask that all of our guests practice social distancing and wear a mask into the restaurant.”
The interior of the restaurant will be marked with directional arrows, and guests will notice new barriers between and around each booth and table for safety.
“Tables will continue to be spaced six feet apart, and in addition, all staff will have their temperatures taken prior to working their shift,” explains Morrison. “We are looking forward to a great playoff season for NHL with amazing views from all of our big screen TV’s!”
St. Louis Bar & Grill will now be able to accommodate 64 additional diners inside the restaurant as of this Friday.
Similarly, Bradford’s Boston Pizza and Chuck’s Roadhouse Bar & Grill will also be opening this Friday, with plexiglass barriers being installed between booths as well.
Both restaurants will be opening their bar side and dining room, with a maximum capacity of 50 guests inside.
But not all restaurants will be jumping at the opportunity to reopen the interior of their dining space this weekend.
La Mexicanada and Bradford’s Don Cherry’s Sports Grill are choosing to wait and stick to their patio dining for now.
“Indoor won’t happen for us until we monitor more of the situation,” states Deb Nava, Owner of La Mexicanada. “We are still taking it slow on opening up… we might only use indoor at half capacity just for rain days, but again we are taking things slow.”
La Mexicanada took advantage of the town’s patio program recently and put an extension on their outdoor enclosure, allowing more guests to enjoy their dining experience safely and with social distancing in place.
“We are going to be setting up a small stage outside for live entertainment, away from customers but allowing them to be able to see our live music from a distance,” notes Nava. “We are so happy and amazed at all the support we have been getting!”
Don Cherry’s large patio extension has also become very popular among Bradford residents, and recently mounted a brand new 60 square foot TV on the patio for upcoming sports playoffs.
“We want to continue to ensure our staff and customers are all safe,” states Eric Fex, Co-Owner of Bradford Don Cherry’s. “We will open when we feel we are ready… but you can’t put a time on safety; for now, the patio is safe!”
Other restaurants such as Bradford’s Village Inn will continue to remain closed off to the public with no set reopening date.
“There’s still too much risk,” says Steve Dykie, owner of the Village Inn. “How can we ask our staff to constantly monitor social distancing all the time? It’s too much!”
Whether residents choose to dine indoors or out, it’s important to remember to keep washing your hands and practice social distancing where you can.
