Michigan restaurants reopen indoor dining today: what to know

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. – Monday is a great day for restaurants in Michigan – after almost three months, restaurants can reopen for indoor dining.

However, they can only be 25% full and will have a curfew at 10pm.

READ: Michigan restaurants to reopen with curfew, other security restrictions in place

It is a day that the Michiganders have been waiting patiently, and not so patiently, for the return of the personal dinner.

“We’ve been preparing for this all week and we are super hopeful that we are going in a direction that will work for us,” said Hanna Carter, manager of Pickles & Rye Deli in West Bloomfield.

Restaurants can only open up to 25% of their capacity, but Carter said that will not be a problem.

“We kind of distribute well with all the stands,” said Carter. “And we have all of our tables ready.”

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However, Stage Deli owner Steve Goldberg said the team will wait a little longer before reopening the dining area.

“The dining room at a Jewish deli is a little more than just food. It’s about energy, it’s about spirit. It’s about camaraderie, it’s about neighbors, ”said Goldberg. “And with 25% occupancy and the masks required on the table, it is very difficult to obtain that energy.”

Regardless, the restaurant will continue to maintain sidewalk and maintenance services until it is really ready for more in an impactful return to normal.

“As things get easier, we will revisit and open when appropriate,” said Goldberg.

It is not just the customers who are ready to return to meals at the table, but the employees who will also be back.

“We are strengthening our team,” said Carter. “Obviously, we had to decrease the size, but now we managed to get in touch and, definitely, more people joined our team.”

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