Allegheny Co. restaurants, customers adjusting to new dining order

ALLEGHENY CO., Pa. — The new dining rules for Allegheny County businesses went into effect Friday, and restaurants and their customers are trying to adjust.

In response to the rising COVID-19 cases in Allegheny County, health officials announced Wednesday that bars and restaurants will remain closed for two more weeks, but outdoor dining will be allowed until 11 p.m. with a three-drink limit.

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Many restaurants across the region are turning their parking lots into outdoor seating. Tables are spaced apart six feet for social distancing, and masks are everywhere in sight.

It’s the newest effort to keep business coming in during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Downtown restaurants and bars also are utilizing bike lanes for outdoor seating, and the transformation took about two days.

“We’re doing everything we can to make sense of everything and do our best to keep our staff employed and our business running,” said Scott Schaffer, owner of Bridges and Bourbon.

Bars and restaurants are banned from selling alcohol and dining inside, but takeout and outdoor seating is helping keep them afloat.

Meanwhile, there is renewed frustration in several other counties after businesses in the region were told that they were going to face similar sanctions from the Pa. Department of Health. But an announcement from Gov. Tom Wolf has not yet come.

Butler County: there will be no state-ordered shutdown of dine-in service at bars and restaurants Butler County: there will be no state-ordered shutdown of dine-in service at bars and restaurants

Cox Media Group