Business rally for loosening covid-19 restrictions set for Saturday in Unity

A small-business rally is planned Saturday in Westmore­land County to urge less stringent restrictions from Gov. Tom Wolf’s plan to phase in segments of the state’s economy curtailed during the coronavirus pandemic.

About 60 small-business owners and supporters braved unseasonably cold temperatures Monday night outside Sharky’s Cafe on Route 30 in Unity to lay the groundwork for the rally, which will be centered around Sharky’s.

Jamie Huemme, co-owner of the restaurant, told rally participants to arrive between 11:30 a.m. and noon Saturday with signs to display their sentiments about Wolf’s plan.

Westmoreland County on Friday will join much of Southwestern Pennsylvania in moving into the yellow phase of reopening. At that point, some types of businesses will be able to return to operations while conforming to federal health guidelines for controlling the spread of the virus.

Beauty salons are to remain closed, and eating establishments such as Sharky’s will be asked to continue selling meals only through takeout or delivery.

“We want to try and make this a rally, a demonstration, to really get the governor’s attention, to fight for our small businesses,” Huemme said. She said Sharky’s and other restaurants have seen sales fall by about 80% under the state’s restrictions.

“We need to make a stand,” said Mike O’Barto, a Unity supervisor who is helping to promote the event. “Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. When the Little League coach wants a donation, who do they go to?”

Rally supporters also should reach out to state legislators, Huemme said, noting, “They’re the ones that are going to be bringing this to the governor. They’re going to be our voices, too.”

State Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, said she wants to attend the rally. State Rep. Eric Nelson, a fellow local Republican, spoke at Monday’s session as traffic cones guided audience members to maintain social distancing in Sharky’s parking lot.

“As we funnel people in our big box stores, I think we’re all in agreement that our small-business owners can work safely, too,” Nelson said. He argued that it should be up to owners and their customers to decide how best each restaurant can provide safe dining, while observing social distancing and other guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sharky’s co-owner John Huemme, Jamie’s husband, said that if state officials will amend the phasing guidelines, the couple would like to once more provide sit-down dining for patrons — perhaps at no more than 50% of the restaurant’s seating capacity to help maintain social distancing.

“I don’t believe they’re going to give us that right off the bat, but we’ll definitely take 25%,” he said. “We can all say it’s better than nothing.”

He suggested outdoor dining and takeout sales of alcoholic beverages as other options that could help sustain local restaurants as the pandemic plays out.

“We could still have social distancing and the safety for our customers to feel they’re OK with coming back to our business,” he said.

Other business owners on Monday questioned whether they might be fined or have licenses revoked if they were to resume operations beyond the scope of Wolf’s plan.

Some in attendance suggested establishing an online fundraising account to help pay for any such fines local businesses might incur.

Wolf said Monday that restaurants that offer dine-in service in counties where it isn’t authorized under his plan will risk losing their liquor licenses. Businesses in counties that don’t stick with the plan will no longer be eligible for business liability insurance, state officials warned.