COVID Reopening: Alameda County Residents Enjoy Friday Night Indoor Dining
PLEASANTON (CBS SF) -- A buzz returned to restaurants and downtown streets across Alameda County Friday night as diners enjoyed an indoor meal for the first time in several months.
The county recently moved into state's less restrictive COVID-19 Red Tier status. Restaurants are now allowed to reopen their shuttered indoor dining rooms to 25 percent capacity.
"It's so nice to see everyone out, enjoying the indoor dining," said Lisa Belcher who was out enjoying a meal in Pleasanton.
Even Towne Center Books on Pleasanton's Main Street was seeing an increase in business.
"As soon as we got red and the restaurants could re-open, (business) bumped right up," said owner Judy Wheeler.
Wheeler said more people were coming in to browse in the store as they're waiting for tables at nearby restaurants -- which sometimes can be a long wait with the capacity limits on indoor seating.
Among Wheeler's customers were Jack and Alexandra Buna. They just wanted to spend more time in the book store.
"It's just fun to actually be able to go explore in person all kinds of different books," Jack Buna said.
Meanwhile, Pleasanton resident Sameer Saiya was out for an evening meal with his family.
"It looks so weird to see people inside restaurants now after getting so used to seeing everyone outdoors," Saiya told KPIX 5.
Sameer and his parents said they were excited about coming downtown to eat dinner, but had to have a conversation as family about whether to eat inside or out.
"I was comfortable and we actually went through that dialogue," Chetan Saiya said. "I'm still more comfortable sitting outside."