Restaurants reopen dining rooms

Restaurants reopening is a sign of the economy is reopening

With restrictions.

Restaurants reopening is a sign the economy may truly be reopening..

Not only was it a big day for restaurants, but as abc 36's christy bollinger found, it also may have been just as big a day for customers.

L3: coronavirus outbreak white jason & jay customers ### take sot: :04 " it's a big deal for us.

It's a big deal for everybody in the community it's a big day."

Take vo:sitting down at a restaurant..

Enjoying a hot meal... having an ice cold drink on a pretty day ... something kentuckians have missed since the middle of march.

Take sot: :07 "it was interesting like walking through the door was just a sense of relief.

It's a cool feeling to be out and about.

Seeing people again."

Take sot: :06 "it's just nice to get out and see your friends and have that social interaction.

Everyone needs it."

Take vo:the pandemic has hit the restaurant industry hard..

Double dogs in lexington has felt that.

Take sot: :07 "we would just drive by and look and try to see hopefully that they were getting plenty of curbside business cause i mean it really has been awful for people."

Take vo: thankfully..

The restaurant was able to bring back all it's employees.

Take sot: :04 "it feels good to get back to somewhat of a normal business."

Take vo:restaurant staff are wearing masks and gloves, getting temperatures checked upon arrival..

Keeping everyone as safe as they can.

Take sot: :07 "we'll have a manager at the front door counting and making sure we don't exceed our capacity."

Take vo:some customers said that was a concern ... but it didn't stop them from at least trying.

Take sot::13 "i would've gotten take out and sat in the bed of my truck and just watched.

Yup yup.

I would've had no problem just looked at it from the bed of my truck.

We actually planned that out if there was a line we were gonna get takeout and just sit and look at it."

Take vo: like most restaurants, it was a search for normalcy on the first day, even pets were welcome.

Take sot: :05 "we've got the tvs on and there may be live sports going on but there's plenty of reruns."

Take vo: it was a day worth celebrating... take sot: :06 "not that i've been counting but nine weeks..

Nine weeks and three days.

It's nice to get back to some kind of normalcy."

Take vo: the restaurant said it was pleased with the first day and it expects get busier and busier.

That would be good, all things considered.

In lexington, christy bollinger, abc 36 news.

While all restaurants are being allowed to reopen... not all restaurants are choosing to do so.

Red state b-b-q is among several restaurants sticking with curbside service and delivery.

Owner david carroll says, because the restaurant only seats 55 to 60 people... it's difficult to work around social distancing guidelines.

He says... even when capacity restrictions are lifted... things may not change much for red state b-b-q.

"we're probably going to stay in the stance we're in.

So, when we go back to 100% we're probably still going to do counter service, whereas in the past, we were doing dinner table service."