GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Since mid-November Stella’s Lounge in downtown Grand Rapids has been serving up their world famous burgers to go, waiting for the day they could let people in once again.
“We definitely can put some great food out but it's really about being in this building, experiencing what you see behind me,” Stella’s General Manager Anthony Kisscorni.
On Monday, the state ban on indoor diningwill be lifted, with some restrictions like a 25% capacity limit, enforced social distancing, 6-person table limits and a 10 p.m. curfew still in place.
READ THE FULL ORDER BY THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HERE:
“We're just trying to make sure that that everyone that walks in this building, whether it's a guest, or a patron, that they're safe, and they can feel safe here,” Kisscorni said.
For Stella’s it will be their “Grand Re-re-reopening,” so it’s a day they are prepared for.
“Unfortunately, we've done this before so it was the same checklist that we created last time. We're dotting our Is, crossing our t’s we're making sure that the buildings, look good, that we have staff trained up for not only the food and experience, but also all the safety procedures that we have put in place,” Kisscorni added.
It’s not going to be a normal experience, but they’re are more than happy to provide it, as the industry hopes to get back on track after a bleak year still hampered by the pandemic.
“This is a stepping-stone. We understand that it's necessary we need to prove that restaurants can operate safely and that's what we intend to do,” he added.
While bars and restaurants are excited to finally have people inside once again, they are asking everyone to stay patient and help them follow the important COVID regulations so they don’t have to take any steps back.
This latest round of restrictions is currently set to run through February 21st.
