Restaurants welcome dine-in guests

“It feels wonderful. Your tension goes down, you are more relaxed,” said one person at IHOP restaurant.

” So far we are seeing most of our regular customers, the seniors, they are coming back, and we gave them a call this morning to let them know that the restaurant is open for them,” said GM of the Medicine Hat IHOP Darwin Padilla.

Over at Dee-jay’s pub, it’s a similar feeling of elation.

“Happiness. Complete joy and Happiness that we can finally do what we love to do and that’s serve the public let them sit down, enjoy a good meal,” said owner Dee Schall.

Under the province’s newest guidelines in-person dining is permitted with a maximum of six people per table who must be from the same cohort.

Individuals who live alone can dine – in with two close contacts.

Still, despite the limitations, Schall isn’t too worried that it will affect revenue to a great extent.

“I have a lot of just couples, the families that have children just 18- years and older, they do come in once and a while and sit down and enjoy a really good evening,” she said.

The guidelines also require liquor service to end at 10 p.m. and restaurants to close by 11 p.m. Entertainment such as pool tables, and live music is also prohibited.

Still, Schall considers the restrictions reasonable and is happy to open her doors.

Schall bought the pub last year after the first shutdown. She has owned Dee’s baked goods next door for four years, and when the second shut down hit, it was the bakery that was her saving grace financially.

“I’m really lucky that we got the pub as well as the bakery to keep us alive. The pub is just going to have to you know keep going and work its way through. But other people who don’t have something to help out if they decide to have another shut down. I don’t know what is going to happen. I don’t want to even want to think about that,” she said.

During the most recent shut-down, Dee-jay’s pub didn’t qualify for assistance because it was a new business. Schall had zero revenue coming in. The bills kept piling up, and that meant letting go of staff.

“it was heartbreaking. I don’t think I cried so much in my life. Christmas was upon us. Everybody’s already had a hard time and then to say we aren’t going to be open anymore, my heart broke it was absolutely devastating to say we can’t bring you back yet,” she said.

Now with the province giving them the green light, and people eager to eat, Schall is looking forward to bringing her staff back, to give customers the dine-in atmosphere they have been without.

by Tiffany Goodwein

Restaurants welcome dine-in guests

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