Pittsburgh Restaurant Week Begins As Businesses Struggle Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A Pittsburgh tradition starts today -- the wintertime version of Pittsburgh Restaurant Week.

For Square Café in East Liberty, the hope for Restaurant Week is to give them a shot in the arm.

"We need to get people back into our space and get the energy moving again," owner Sherree Goldstein said.

Goldstein said business for them has been down about 60% during the pandemic. Measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have forced them to close and reopen multiple times and maintain capacity limits.

"We just need people. My staff wants to work. We just want to be back to a pace where we can handle. We can handle a really high volume," Goldstein said.

This is the café's first year in the biannual event.

They along with several other local establishments will have specials that run for the next two weeks to try and bring in some business.

"Even if you don't feel comfortable sitting in a restaurant, which we completely understand, come by. We have curbside pickup or have it delivered to your house," Goldstein said.

The almost 40 restaurants involved will be preaching safety. Masks will be required of patrons who plan to dine in.

"We want to be safe. We don't want to create any more problems. We don't want anymore risk," Goldstein said inside her restaurant.

For more information and a list of restaurants that will be participating, click here.