MANCHESTER, N.H. (WHDH) - Eager customers are getting ready to embrace heading out on the town after New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu gave restaurants the green light to reopen starting on Monday.
Chuck Kalantzis, the owner of Panuche’s Sports and Music Hall in Manchester, is getting ready for this long-awaited moment and making sure his establishment is up to code according to the new restrictions which will include outdoor seating only.
“The employees will all be wearing masks. They all will be wearing gloves,” Kalantzis said. “We’ve had to change as far as the silverware. We are gonna be giving the disposable ones.”
He will be going from a capacity of over 300 people to just 70 customers at a time.
This is nowhere near enough to make a profit but Kalantzis said it is important for him to reopen now.
“The reason why I’m doing the outside is because the community has asked me to do it and they want a little normalcy back in their lives,” he explained.
But, the problem now is getting his employees to come back.
“The employees are receiving unemployment. They’re receiving a $600 check every week,” he said. “They’re making five times the amount, way more than that of what they would be making here now on the outside seating.”
The Airport Diner in Manchester is also getting ready to reopen.
Owner Gordon Fogal said, “Everyone is asked to wear a mask, stay at least six feet apart when waiting in line for your tables, we’re only allowing one guest to wait in line and they need to be six feet apart. The rest of the guests will wait in their cars.”
Both restaurants are concerned about having to police their customers should any conflicts arise.
“That’s what we’re worried about the most. I’ve heard similar stories of restaurants in other states that have had this problem,” Gordon said. “Customers not really wanting to follow the guidelines.”
Kalantzis said he and other New Hampshire restaurant owners are keeping their fingers crossed, hoping they’ll be able to reopen for indoor service by the end of June.
If not, he fears many restaurants in the Granite State will go out of business.
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