Local restaurant helping its servers as indoor dining reopens

WHITE OAK, Pa. — After three weeks, restaurant owners were finally allowed to reopen their doors for indoor dining at 8:01 a.m. Monday.

They are limited to 25% or 50% capacity if they complete an online certification.

The online certification is basically a form that indicates they will follow all COVID-19 guidelines set forth by the state, city or county. This includes social distancing and mask-wearing.

>>STORY: Indoor dining at restaurants can start back up Monday; gyms, casinos reopen

Alcohol still can’t be served without a meal, and alcohol sales must stop at 11 p.m.

Staff at Luciano’s in White Oak are prepping the restaurant to welcome guests back into the dining room once again.

Kelly Matey, Luciano’s server manager, said, “$2.83 an hour. No one is living on that. Our livelihood are tips, and we’re basically selling ourselves, our personalities. So we make relationships with customers, and it’s hard being away from that, especially being a people person.”

Matey has worked at Luciano’s for three decades. She’s been a regular presence in this restaurant, waiting tables, pouring beers, running food and talking to patrons.

But since March, Matey said it’s been a struggle emotionally and financially for the staff.

“We’ve become family, so you support your family through the good and the bad,” Matey said.

And that’s exactly what owner Dan Pasquarelli is doing, being the rock when his family needs him most.

“On Tuesday, for our grand reopening, being our spaghetti special day, one of our busiest days, anything that we bring in for dine-in sales, he’s donating back to us servers,” Matey said.

When Pasquarelli told Matey of his plans, she said her first reaction was disbelief.

“I thought he was joking. I thought there’s no way someone could be this generous to do this for us. I was floored. It’s something he doesn’t have to do at all. Out of the goodness of his heart, he’s doing it,” Matey said. “He’s always been good to us, but this is over the top.”

Matey said because of Pasquarelli’s act of kindness, she and the staff have decided to pay it forward by donating 1% of their sales to the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank.

“We all agreed. We’re not the only ones hurting,” Matey said.

Channel 11 talked to Pasquarelli on the phone. He said his servers suffered the most during this pandemic, and he wants them to know how much they’re appreciated.

Gov. Wolf orders state flags lowered for representative who died from brain aneurysm

Cox Media Group