Restaurant owners in the Aurora area say they are “excited” for Friday, when indoor dining will be allowed again as the state eases some restrictions in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.
More Top Picks Best Multisport Watches For Triathletes
Friday begins Phase 4 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan. Restaurants will be able to be fully operational as long as tables are at least six feet apart for social distancing, parties do not exceed 10 and standing areas including bars remain at 25% capacity.
Phil Cullen, owner of Ballydoyle Irish Pub in downtown Aurora, said Friday “would be like a family reunion.”
“Frankly, I can’t wait to see some of our regulars again and I’m sure they feel the same way,” Cullen said a few days before Friday’s opening. “It’s a new world in the restaurant business and in some ways, the opening with outdoor seating has been a blessing in disguise. The last few weeks have given us a chance to get our feet wet, and now we can bring the same routine inside.”
Jim Ebel, co-owner of Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, said he and his brother Jason and staff “are excited about the Friday opening.”
“We have things spaced out and we’re staffed for the reopening, and hopefully people will come out,” Jim Ebel said. “With the rain always being a component of outdoor dining, being able to move indoors will make for a more consistent business.”
Restaurant owners throughout the area said they face other challenges opening this Friday beyond health and safety issues that include everything from having enough staff to issues with food and liquor supplies.
Cullen said regarding his restaurant “we planned ahead and have been working the past couple of weeks with our suppliers” and that “we were in sync for this.”
While many restaurants used the last month to hone their skills to restart indoor service, others with a large patio business like the Gammon Coach House in Batavia don’t expect Friday’s change to have much impact.
“We only have about 50 seats indoors and with staff and servers and customers and having to keep six feet apart, we’re not expecting the new Phase Four to affect us that much,” said bar manager Lizzy Evensen. “We’ve added three times the outdoor space that we normally have and will continue having a strong outdoor business.”
Jimmy Nicolaou, owner of Riganato Restaurant in Geneva, says his challenges include wooing back clientele and hoping his small eatery can generate enough businesses.
“Our basic customer isn’t 20-year-olds and I’m not sure with a more mature client how they’ll feel about coming back and eating indoors,” Nicolaou said. “We have a small patio and hopefully with that, and our carry-outs and a dining room that had 70 chairs but is now half that, we can have a decent month.”
John Denormandie, 74, of Geneva, who counts himself as a Riganato regular, said he’s “been out a lot during the pandemic” and that while he’s enjoyed outdoor eating, “I’m ready to go indoors too.”
“For me, I’ll go to any restaurant – I don’t have a problem being inside even during this restricted phase,” he said. “I’m not sure since we’ve never found a cure for the regular flu if things will go back to normal.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.