Wolf: Bar service in Pa. to return, alcohol curfew to lift on Easter

Pennsylvania bars and restaurants can resume bar service, sell alcohol without a food purchase and operate at 75% capacity beginning April 4, Gov. Tom Wolf said Monday.

The curfew on alcohol sales also will be lifted. Currently, bars and restaurants must stop serving alcohol at 11 p.m. and clear tables of drinks by midnight. Bar service has been prohibited since last year, and food purchases have had to accompany alcohol sales.

“Pennsylvanians have stepped up and done their part to help curb the spread of covid-19,” Wolf said. “Our case counts continue to go down, hospitalizations are declining, and the percent positivity rate gets lower every week — all very positive signs.”

Capacity for other types of businesses can increase to 75% on April 4, including gyms, casinos, and malls.

“The number of people getting vaccinated increases daily, and we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel,” Wolf said. “It’s time to allow our restaurants, bars and other service businesses to get back to more normal operations.”

The 75% restaurant capacity limit applies only to those where management has gone through the free, online self-certification process. Restaurants that have not self-certified may raise capacity to 50%.

Other restrictions — specifically social distancing and mask-wearing — remain in place.

Restaurant owners and industry advocates expressed cautious optimism at the announcement.

“Of course it’s helpful,” said Joe Kolek, owner of the Anchor Inn in Harrison. “I don’t know. Are people ready to come out?”

Kolek said any additional customers he’s able to allow into the restaurant will help with his profits, but even with fewer capacity limits, he worries diners won’t return in the numbers they used to.

“I think they have to say it’s safe before (customers) step out,” he said. “This isn’t going to change overnight.”

The Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association expressed relief that restrictions to dining and bars would be loosened soon but was critical of the timing of the changes.

“While we are happy to see that the restrictions have been eased, we are disappointed to see that the state required a three-week delay rather than implement the changes immediately, especially while neighboring states have been taking action in a timelier fashion,” John Longstreet, president and CEO, said in a statement. “We would like to see the governor allow the hospitality industry the opportunity to come back to the business quicker, so that these businesses can survive this long period of disruption.”

Danielle Butcher, general manager at J. Corks restaurant in Greensburg, said the capacity increase is an exciting step in the right direction. Butcher said she is pleased about the changes for alcohol sales and bar service.

“We’d completely lost our bar up until now,” Butcher said, along with customers who would normally like to come in for a drink without ordering food. She said J. Corks lost a lot of business because of those restrictions and faced challenges making sure guests order food with their alcohol.

“It definitely causes tension between us and the patrons, and we certainly have had some issues because of it,” Butcher said. “It’s not a good feeling to have all these rules in place that people have to follow.”

Wigle Whiskey Distillery officials were excited.

“We’re crying. Tears of JOY,” the local distillery posted on Facebook. “Starting April 4, we’ll be operating at 75% capacity and will have our beautiful bar stools open for the FIRST TIME ever!!”

Wigle has a bar and restaurant in Pittsburgh’s Strip District.

Wolf also announced another change to the capacity limits for indoor and outdoor event spaces: For indoor events, the maximum tops out at 25% of normal occupancy limits, and for outdoor spaces, the limit is 50%. Masks and social distancing are required.