Spork restaurant in Pittsburgh to require vaccination proof for diners

Add Spork to the list of Pittsburgh restaurants requiring proof of vaccination for diners.

Beginning Tuesday, the Bloomfield restaurant on Penn Avenue will begin enforcing the dining policy.

Sean Enright, Spork general manager, said Friday that he and the staff are joining other restaurants in solidarity with the requirements.

“In the end, it’s protecting our staff and our customers that is the highest importance to us,” he said Friday. “We’ve been watching the news and the growth rate of this delta variant. It’s alarming.”

Enright said the support and backlash has already begun.

“We’ve been getting the fake negative Google reviews already,” he said. “But there’s also been a huge amount of support — more support than backlash.”

Earlier this week, a pair of North Side restaurants announced that customers would have to show proof of covid-19 vaccination.

Apteka, also located on Penn Avenue, announced on social media late last month that it requires vaccination for diners.

“You must be vaccinated to dine with us,” the restaurant posted on Instagram on July 23. “A number of us on staff have lost close family to covid and with a predicted spike in cases, we have to stay safe.”