Delaware restaurants excited to reopen June 1
Restaurants across Delaware are preparing to reopen and welcome back guests for both dine-in and outdoor seating as of Monday, June 1, after more than two months of Delaware’s mandated closures, said Scott Kammerer, president of SoDel Concepts and Delaware Restaurant Association board chair.
Working in partnership with the Delaware Restaurant Association and following the direction of the Delaware Division of Public Health, Phase 1 guidelines for restaurants’ reopening are now in place, according to a press release. Restaurants have reopening plans prepared that will help provide the confidence and level of service that customers expect by keeping their safety top of mind and executing the high degree of hospitality that Delawareans have always experienced. With the public’s support, they will continue to serve as the cornerstones of their communities and Delaware’s most beloved small business employers.
“The hospitality industry’s core values are deeply rooted in making people happy. I believe I speak for all hospitality professions when I say that we are enthusiastic about welcoming and serving our guests once more. As operators in almost 2,000 restaurants, we are also in the process of bringing back one in 10 Delawareans who choose to work in our establishments as career operators, servers, chefs, hosts, bussers, sommeliers and managers, as well as for those students and individuals who work part time and who depend on these opportunities to grow and develop the upward mobility that a first-time job helps to create,” Kammerer said.
“The support you give to restaurants as we begin opening up will have a ripple effect on the overall economy by helping those individuals who have been most vulnerable and need to get back to work. These incredible people are looking forward to welcoming you into their establishments – to create the magic that we have all come to depend upon coming from your local, neighborhood restaurant,” Kammerer said.
“It is the very nature of people in the hospitality industry to embrace challenge, and our businesses and industry professionals have been dealt a tremendous blow. As we prepare for June 1, restaurants will work hard to meet this new challenge,” he said. “It will take a community of support to ensure that many of our favorite local eateries survive. We are committed to adhering to guidelines for the safety of our guests and workers, and will make all necessary changes at each phase of the reopening with robust enthusiasm.
“We ask that our guests have patience as we work through the coming weeks and the many temporary changes ahead. The restaurant community will soon be open to serve you, and never has it been more apparent to those of us in the industry that it is our collective need to do just that. We are here to welcome you back in a safe and respectful way, and look forward to seeing you soon,” Kammerer said.
