How will Gov. Tom Wolf’s targeted mitigation efforts affect Centre County businesses?
When Gov. Tom Wolf announced new COVID-19 mitigation efforts late Wednesday afternoon, Pennsylvania bar and restaurant owners had a few hours to adjust operations.
With some Pennsylvanians ignoring the masking mandate, traveling out-of-state and a “lack of national coordination,” Wolf said the new executive order was made in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases and places stricter regulations on indoor restaurant and bar operations.
Under the mandate, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, businesses must limit indoor dining occupancy to 25%. Alcohol consumption is reserved for meals and carry-out, and nightclubs are prohibited from opening.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Code defines a meal as “food prepared on the premises, sufficient to constitute breakfast, lunch or dinner” — not “a snack, such as pretzels, popcorn, chips or similar food.”
Takeout sales of alcohol are permitted but are subject to any limitations or restrictions imposed by state law.
Outdoor dining operations can remain unchanged, and outdoor social gatherings are still limited to 250 people.
Local leaders react
Following the announcement, Centre County leaders reacted to the order, with some arguing that the new restrictions will cause more financial damage to businesses struggling amid the pandemic.
“I can not sit back and watch our governor dismantle our economy and the livelihoods of so many in our community businesses,” Commissioner Steve Dershem wrote Wednesday on Facebook. “This man is a tyrant and should be held accountable for his actions.”
Dershem was joined by House Majority Leader Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, Senate Majority Leader Rep. Jake Corman, R-Benner Township, and U.S. Rep. Fred Keller, R-Pa., in criticizing the new order.
Although the new order imposes more stringent guidelines, Commissioner Michael Pipe said the executive order is a “step in the right direction” to preserve progress already made to slow the spread of COVID-19.
He hopes that by making these decisions and taking action early, residents and businesses will see guidelines relaxed sooner. The county is also set to release funds for local businesses next month to help make-up for any lost revenue.
“The reopening of the university and the reopening of our K-12 schools throughout Centre County is going to depend on and be determined by the work that is done in July and August,” Pipe said Wednesday. “We have to make hard choices and decisions now to reduce the spread of COVID-19. These new mitigation efforts would be a step in the right direction.”
How are businesses working to adjust?
Downtown State College Improvement District Executive Director Rob Schmidt said business owners didn’t have much time to react, read or absorb the order before it went into effect, but he said efforts are being made to adjust.
“I think every business is going to interpret it somewhat differently in terms of what constitutes as food,” he said. “Obviously, it has much bigger implications for businesses that don’t serve food.”
The challenge, he said, is being able to adjust to a “one-size-fits-all” order.
Compared to Bill Pickle’s Tap Room and The Corner Room, Zeno’s Pub has the least amount of food options out of Hotel State College’s downtown properties. Curtis Shulman, director of operations for Hotel State College, said the company was trying to expand its menu, but the pub announced Thursday it would close until further notice.
“The new restrictions put us in a tough spot,” read a Facebook post. “We have decided that the requirements diminish the experience significantly. We are closed, starting today. We’ll regroup and reopen when we can deliver the Zeno’s that you expect.”
Under the governor’s guidelines, the Basement Nightclub, another Hotel State College property, must remain closed.
Other businesses across Centre County are preparing for changes, or thinking creatively about the order.
The Bar in Boalsburg announced on Facebook that it would remain open, offering a “limited menu” for customers.
“Starting (Thursday) if you plan on stopping at the bar, you will have to purchase food along with your drink for us to maintain any sort of business,” the post said. “All customers will have to remain seated while they enjoy their food and drinks. We will have a very limited menu for customers to choose from but this is the only solution to the problem at hand. We’re doing our best to stay in business and do what we can with the issues at hand.”
Brother’s Pizza in Wingate said on Facebook that it wasn’t sure how much its business would be impacted by the new order since most customers opt for takeout, but in an effort to work with the order, the pizza shop offered assistance to local bars.
“If anyone would like to provide food and are not set up for it so they can stay in business, I would like to offer pizza at cost,” the post said. “I don’t want to profit from this, so you can sell it and stay open ... I have no idea if it will work but we need to keep our local businesses open and paying the bills and keeping our community working.”
On Tuesday, Downtown State College is set to meet via Zoom with local business owners and associations to discuss three things: the implications of the order, the proposed State College ordinance and how to handle lines outside of bars downtown.
Schmidt said officials are encouraging businesses to use technology and applications — like LineLeap — to mitigate people waiting outside establishments, especially after State College bars and pubs saw a significant turnout last weekend.
“The technology’s there, and the lines can be eliminated,” he said. “What happened last weekend basically is a message to say that now’s the time to move to that technology.”
This story was originally published July 16, 2020 at 4:19 PM with the headline "How will Gov. Tom Wolf’s targeted mitigation efforts affect Centre County businesses?."
