JEFFERSON CO., Pa. (EYT) – Businesses across the area have been preparing to reopen as Jefferson County will move to the green phase of Pennsylvania’s reopening plan on Friday, May 29.
(Pictured: Owner Jayne Crissman and stylist Kayla Burford of Scissors & Rayz Salon)
“I think everyone is just really looking forward to reopening,” Jolene Hartle, Executive Director of the Brookville Area Chamber of Commerce, told exploreJeffersonPA.com.
“Everyone is just so happy to get back to being open and to getting people in and trying to get back to some kind of normalcy.”
Hartle noted business owners are working hard to follow the CDC guidelines.
“They want to make sure everyone is safe.”
She also noted that now, more than ever before is the time our local businesses need patronage the most.
“The big thing is to please support your local small businesses. It’s really important that we do that right now.”
Some clarification on the guidelines for businesses in the green phase was finally provided late Wednesday, as many business owners were already working hard to prepare for opening on Friday.
Salons have been among some of the hardest-hit businesses, as they have been under mandated closure since the beginning of the virus mitigation efforts in Pennsylvania.
“I’m so excited to be going back to work!” said owner Jayne Crissman of Scissors & Rayz Salon.
“We have missed being behind the chair, doing hair, and seeing our friends.”
Crissman noted they have made a number of changes to how they will be operating, from wearing masks and sanitizing everything between clients, to only allowing the person with the appointment inside the salon and limiting tanning appointments.
“We like to make people feel good about themselves,” Crissman explained.
“Having a great cut and color and new style or nicely waxed eyebrows and a little tan makes people feel amazing! After ten weeks of being closed, we are anxious to get with our friends again.”
Like salons, tattoo businesses have also been closed since the earliest mitigation efforts began.
“It’s a feeling of relief being able to finally open back up as many small businesses have struggled through this shut down to stay open and have even wondered if they would be able to pull through and stay open at all,” said Corey Anderson, Proprietor of Feel the Steel Tattoo and Piercing, in Brookville.
“As we reopen, it is important for people to support small businesses as much as possible and shop local.”
According to Anderson, while tattoo businesses are making a few changes, their existing standards for cleanliness already meet many of the requirements.
“Tattoo shops already followed a very strict sanitation and cleanliness protocol before the COVID-19 pandemic, but we will be cleaning highly touched areas even more and limiting (the number of) customers in the shop at a time.”
Unlike some other businesses, restaurants were permitted to continue offering some services via take-out meals during the yellow phase. Now, the move to the green phase will allow them to reopen their dining rooms, though at a limited capacity and with a laundry list of guidelines.
Pat Hatzinikolas, owner of The Courthouse Grille & Pub in Brookville, plans to open their dining room on Monday, June 1.
“We are doing a thorough cleaning of the entire restaurant,” Hatzinikolas said.
“Everything is going good. We will also have our outdoor seating for those patrons that don’t feel comfortable coming in.”
The New Anchor Inn, in Punxsutawney, will be opening their dining room on Friday, May 29.
“Preparations are going well,” owner David Setree said.
Setree noted that he tried to keep most of his employees on staff, despite being limited to take-out for so long, and had already done a thorough deep-cleaning of the entire restaurant. Then they spent the last few days rearranging tables to best suit the 50% capacity and social distancing recommendations.
“If people want to eat outside, they can also do that,” he noted.
According to Setree, they aren’t really sure what to expect in terms of the clientele as they reopen.
“We don’t know whether we may be inundated by people or not.”
However, while he said the closure had been “a bit like a vacation” for some of the staff, they are looking forward to returning to something closer to normal, especially in terms of the financial losses they’ve suffered.
“Take-out just isn’t enough to sustain us. We kind of liked having a bit less stress, but it’s just not economically feasible in the long run.”
Punxsy Pizza’s owner Scott L. Anthony told exploreJeffersonPA.com they are preparing for the reopening following CDC guidelines and plan to have dine in available on Friday, May 29. Take-out and curbside service will also be available.
Regarding the restaurant guidelines issued on Wednesday afternoon, Anthony said, “If these policies are enforced, it will be tragic for many who barely made it on the slim profit margins we had before.
“Couple that now with the rising cost of beef & poultry and the talk of raising minimum wage by nearly 50%, you have the perfect storm.”
Anthony also commented that when he and his employees reconfigured their dining area and finished sanitizing everything on Thursday morning, they discovered that to comply with social distancing guidelines, they were not even able to meet the 50% capacity of seats.
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