The response to COVID-19 has not only closed restaurants across Delaware and the nation – restaurants that have yet to open have also been stopped in their tracks.

Among them are Sydney’s Restaurant and Lounge in Paynter’s Mill in Milton. 

Co-owner Ed Waples said the restaurant, located next to Titanic Pizzeria, was scheduled to open in mid-April, but since Gov. John Carney’s emergency order on essential personnel in mid-March, there is no one available to perform the restaurant’s inspection. Waples said they had planned on opening in May, but that doesn’t look like it will happen either.

He said the inspection is the last step Sydney’s needs before opening. The good news is that because Sydney’s can’t open, Waples said the business has not been affected by the virus. In the meantime, he said, the restaurant is preparing as if it will open tomorrow, so they’re ready to roll as soon as inspection happens. 

Waples said the space is big enough that they can do takeout and allow guests to socially distance within the restaurant. He said Sydney’s also plans to do catering. 

“I’m hoping people will be ready to go out,” Waples said of when shelter-in-place restrictions are lifted. “There’s so much excitement and enthusiasm about opening up. We’re anxious to get going and be part of the community.”

For more information on Sydney’s, go to www.sydneysrestaurantlounge.com.