EASTON, Pennsylvania – Easter Sunday comes with eased COVID-19 restrictions in Pennsylvania, including sitting in a bar, which many restaurants have been waiting for over a year.
After all, it was a “Happy” Easter at Pizza Stoke Coal Fire in Easton.
“We are back, almost normal. We are walking. We’re still swimming, ”said Jose Fetterolf, from the pizzeria.
On Sunday, the state allowed restaurants and bars in all counties except Philadelphia to increase internal occupancy from 50% to 75%.
The changes mean that customers can now go to the bar without buying food.
“That’s nice!” customer Sean O’Dowd exclaimed.
“It’s just happiness. As people come in and, this morning, we put the stools for the first time. And people come in and the moment they see those stools in the bar, even the bartenders, the waiters., The interaction; that one -one-to-one, ”said Fetterolf.
“It’s exciting! It’s exciting for the kitchen. Now we can really feed people at the bar. It’s a lot of fun. It’s a lot of fun to get back to normal,” said executive chef Abe Lopez.
And what a difference a year makes.
On the last Easter Sunday, Stoke Coal Fire Pizza and all restaurants in PA were banned from serving anyone inside the house and were limited to take-away only.
This year, it was a socially distant but crowded house.
“From 25 to 50 to 75, we are definitely not going to complain. In fact, let’s say ‘thank you’, ”said Fetterolf.
Restaurants are not the only businesses with easy restrictions.
Gyms, theaters and casinos can now also operate at 75% capacity.