Anticipation builds ahead of weekend bar, restaurant capacity changes; workers desperately needed

PITTSBURGH — Not since last summer in Pennsylvania could people sit and drink at a bar without restrictions. It’s something people tell Channel 11 they’re looking forward to this holiday weekend.

“Sometimes after work, I just want to stop and have a little drink with my friends, my husband. And now we will be able to do that again,” said Kathy Seaton.

Starting Sunday, the state is easing restrictions at bars and restaurants. The owner of Off the Hook in Warrendale, Glenn Hawley, said the best part is getting bar tops back.

“It’s a huge part of what restaurants do. A lot of people like to sit there,” Hawley said.

Another big change is that patrons won’t have to order food with alcohol anymore.

“It makes me so happy to think that things are starting to come back to normal,” Seaton said.

The new rules increase indoor capacity to 75% for self-certified businesses that have completed a program to commit to safety protocols. The statewide curfew is also going away, meaning alcohol can be served past 11 p.m.

Owners desperate to fill openings

“Anything from manager level all the way down to dishwasher, across the board we are trying to reinforce what we have going on here,” said senior manager at Wigle Whiskey Richard Platania. “Over the course of a year, we lost about 100 employees.”

The distiller is trying to hire 99 people in nine weeks to fill all their openings.

“We are going to see a huge influx of people stopping in, trying to get that quick drink, a quick flight, then pop back out,” Platania said.

“Everyone is excited to be able to sit at the bar,” said Valerie Dowds with Stinky’s Bar and Grill.

There’s been a help wanted sign out front of the Lawrenceville bar for weeks.

“We just keep getting busier and we need more help,” Dowds said. “Even going into next week, when we are allowed to stay open later, we won’t be just because we don’t have enough people.”

Federal REAL ID enforcement begins Oct. 1

Cox Media Group