ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. – Louis Bricolas has all the safety measures in place but still didn’t know whether coronavirus (COVID-19) would scare off his clientele -- it didn’t.
Monday night, Gilbert’s Lodge had lines waiting to get in the door.
“We have so many regular customers for years and they were itching to get back,” Bricolas said.
READ: How customers are handling reopening of Michigan restaurants with COVID-19 changes
During the closure of the dining room he kept carry out going and planned for the eventual reopening. Now, Gilbert’s Lodge has paper menus and table toppers, which are thrown away after every customer.
The seating is socially distanced, and you don’t have to touch a single handle anywhere in the restaurant. People were thrilled to be out to dinner.
“It’s exciting, even with social distancing, to be able to go out and get a meal in a restaurant like Gilbert’s,” said Cindy Kainz.
For now, the restaurant is still devoting a lot of resources to carry out but is hoping to expand into the parking lot for outdoor dining in order to serve more customers.