Connecticut Begins Phase 2 Reopening, Welcomes Back Indoor Dining, Salons, Gyms And More
GREENWICH, Conn. (CBSNewYork) -- Connecticut is reopening faster than the rest of the Tri-State Area.
Phase 2 of the state's re-start has begun, and that includes indoor dining, CBS2's Nick Caloway reported.
On a sunny Wednesday in Greenwich, it was hard to tell indoor dining is now allowed in Connecticut, as customers took advantage of the weather and sat outside along busy Greenwich Avenue.
The street has been closed to vehicle traffic to give restaurants more space for outdoor dining. Still, restaurant managers said they are happy to have their indoor space back.
"It's amazing. It's a huge opportunity. We have 50% capacity, and we're ready," said Katharine Schade of Little Beet Table.
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Restaurants in Stamford are also taking advantage of outdoor spaces, like streets and closed parking lots. At Fish Restaurant & Bar on Bedford Street, managing partner Jared Vergilis is ready to finally seat people inside again.
"It's just nice, honestly, to get some extra tables in case it rains," Vergilis said.
With only outdoor dining before, there has been the fear of weather ruining a night.
"And what happens if it starts downpouring? You have no place to put people. So at least there's some shelter," Vergilis said.
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Phase 2 of Connecticut's reopening includes a slew of other businesses -- movie theaters, bowling alleys, amusement parks, gyms, and nail salons, Caloway reported.
At Avenue Nails in Greenwich, customers happily got their first mani-pedi in three months.
"I don't think the nail part iss the hardest part. I think it was the social aspect of just (not) being around other people was hard for me," customer Bailey Leaman said.
But just because businesses can reopen, it doesn't mean customers will show up.
"It has been very, very underwhelming," said Ted Triantafillou, owner of Glory Days Diner in Greenwich.
Glory Days has been in Triantafillou's family for 35 years. He was hoping to at least break even on payroll this week, but with a nearly empty diner, that's not very likely.
"Our plans are to re-evaluate the situation come Monday, and do severe cutbacks to our staff, unfortunately," Triantafillou said.
That's the reality for many small businesses in a world where coronavirus is still very real and some customers are not yet ready to come back.
