New Greensburg restaurant opening in midst of pandemic

GREENSBURG, Pa. — As some local restaurants are struggling to stay open and even opting to close their doors for good, a new restaurant in Greensburg is opening up in the midst of the pandemic.

“People might think it’s a little bizarre to be opening, but there’s no time like now I guess,” said Olives and Peppers co-owner Emily Williams.

Williams said even though it’s a tough time for the restaurant industry, the turnout surpassed expectations.

“It went amazing. Our team did a fantastic job of executing the food, following safety guidelines. We saw some new faces, some familiar faces and we were just really pleased with how everything went,” Williams said.

Through all the changes and state mandates, they’re operating the same at both locations in Trafford and Greensburg with the same guidelines: half capacity and offering takeout.

“Our experiences from the Trafford location have definitely carried over. We’ve gained a lot of knowledge about properly and safely seating people during a pandemic. It’s a crazy time,” Williams said.

The train station location can still seat up to 60 at half capacity with room to spare, and the owners said it’s the community that keeps them going.

“Local business is the heart of the community. We need to make sure we’re all supporting each other, doing the best we can and cannot speak volumes enough for the communities we have surrounding our restaurants,” Williams said.

Olives and Peppers said they’re ready for anything if the state does hand down new mandates, with takeout at this location and dine-in Tuesday through Sunday.

$10 million grant to help Pittsburgh preserve Mount Washington after years of landslides

Cox Media Group