(WLVT-TV) - Restaurant leaders rallied at Barley Creek Brewery in Tannersville saying the industry is dying in month 8 of the pandemic. With Pennsylvania restaurants limited to 50% capacity indoors and temperatures dropping outdoors, owners of the Frogtown Chophouse in Swiftwater, Monroe County worry how they will make it through the winter.
“The PPP loans were a big help but that was for 8-12 weeks of payroll; that ran out instantly. Now it’s week 30 or whatever, and we’re still going. We’re still going, and so many restaurants are closing, and this winter, without any help and without a plan, many more will close, and that’s a fact," says Eric Noone, co-owner of the Frogtown Chophouse.
Frequent updates from the state are confusing, says Steve Ertle, who manages The Lounge at Baymont by Wyndham in Bartonsville.
State Representative Kurt Masser from Northumberland County says the state's restrictions are silly.
“You can’t order a drink unless you order food. That magical hamburger will save you from the virus, but it can’t save you after 11 o’clock, and it can’t save you if you’re seated at a bar," says Representative Masser.
Several restaurant industry professionals from across the state will rally in Harrisburg on Wednesday, Nov. 18.