Restaurant owners and guests eager for indoor dining

For the first time in over half a year, restaurant owners were officially allowed to serve guests inside as the province entered Step 3 of its reopening plan, permitting service indoors. 

Rose McAnn, owner of The Lumberjack Restaurant said much of the week leading up to reopening was spent on cleaning and dusting. 

"It's been a very exciting week," said McCann. 

Prior to opening on Friday, McCann said she was surprised to see customers lining up outside her restaurant ten minutes before opening simply to get a seat indoors. 

Step 3 of Ontario's Roadmap to Reopen plan permits gyms, theatres, museums and other venues to reopen for indoor service.

Social gatherings of up to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors are also permitted.

Indoor dining is allowed without a limit on seat numbers for each table, as long as social distancing is maintained. 

In order to maintain social distance guidelines and maximize the capacity inside, McCann opened two additional rooms in the restaurant which are normally closed. 

"We anticipated being at 70 per cent capacity so we're really anticipating being able to serve all of our guests," said McCann. 

'Family business'

Lakshman Marsinghe has been coming to The Lumberjack every Friday for years. 

"I have not been to a restaurant in months I think," said Marsinghe. "I don't feel like sitting outside. It's hot, but I mean, things have changed and I'm happy about that." 

McCann said she is looking forward to catching up with her guests. 

"This is a family business and it's always been a family atmosphere. A lot of our servers know our guests and our guests know each other. There's that whole community that's been missing."