'Excited? Absolutely!'; Area Businesses Prepare For The Move To The 'Green' Phase Of Gov. Tom Wolf's Reopening Plan
MCCANDLESS, Pa. (KDKA) -- The tables have been spaced, the cleaning extensive, and all is ready for the return of guest to restaurant tables all over the region.
"Excited? Absolutely!" says Chuck Schweinsberg who owns the local Original Pancake House restaurants.
It's been a tough three months of limited income with nothing but empty chairs and empty tables.
Those tables are now socially distanced and the Original Pancake menu has been duplicated in paper form for use and disposal.
Chuck says, "Hopefully, at 8:00 a.m. in the morning, people are ready to come back and eat pancakes."
The gyms and workout facilities also step back into action tomorrow.
The folks at LA Fitness are advising members that machine usage will be socially distanced, occupancy will be limited, and the swimming pool, sauna, racquetball and basketball courts will be unavailable.
The major movie theatres appear to be staying dark a while longer.
The phones are ringing off the hook and websites list no show times.
At Hat's Off Salon in McCandless Crossing the appointment book is full and the calls still coming in as hair cutting and styling returns to the region for the first time since Mid-March.
Owner Sharon O'Keef expects to see some interesting Covid-19 DIY hair come through the door."
A lot of unevenness, different colors where they tried to color their hair, hot roots."
Along with wanting an appointment O'Keef says clients have had safety questions born out of Covid anxiety, "How we're going to do the social distancing what are our preparations."
O'Keef says the Hat's Off staff will work in split shifts 9-3 and 3-9, "So everyone will be working every other chair."
At the North Park Lounge part of the parking lot is now outdoor seating under tents.
North Park Lounge owner Mark Baranowski says, "We had to reduce the seating inside the restaurant by 50 percent and with the outside restaurant we're at about 80-85% capacity."
When a national company that makes virus clearing air handling technology for hospitals decided to offer it to the general public in mid-March Baranowski signed up immediately.
It was far from cheap and the company has been so backlogged that the North Park Lounge in McCandless just got its units Wednesday.
North Park Lounge Property Manager Derek Bloomgrem says there is a unit on each of the building's three air systems so, "The air someone breaths out does not recirculate in the building but instead goes through the unit and anything as far as a virus goes is immediately quashed."
Baranowski says he's installing the units for confidence and reassurance because he knows some people are still too concerned to come out. But he adds it's "not only for our guest but also our employees."
Last minute cleaning has been constant in all venues today as the countdown rolls towards tomorrow morning.
Or as Baranowski put it, "Ahhh, can't wait, can't wait."
Restaurant owners are expect a busy weekend as people just want to get out.
So with capacities cut in half you should probably expect to have to wait either in your car or outside the restaurant 'socially distanced.'
Whether it's restaurants, stores or malls there is no way to generalize about who is going to reopen and who is not, or is limiting its operation.
So your best idea is to call ahead. Mask are expected to be required just about everywhere, except when you are eating.
