When Lancaster County restaurant owners learned that outdoor service would be permitted, with restrictions, in the yellow phase of the process to reopen the county, many began thinking outside the box in order to create outdoor seating for their venues.
Liz Concra, operations manager at Rooster Street Restaurant and Bar, located at 11 S. Cedar St., Lititz, said that at first the owners and employees were at a loss as to what to do. "We (had been offering) takeout all along on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays," said Concra. "We never closed."
But offering outdoor dining posed a dilemma. "We asked, 'What could we do?' Because we didn't have outdoor space," recalled Concra. The answer lay with the Lititz Borough Council. When restaurant representatives spoke with a council member, they learned that restaurants were being encouraged to do what they could to survive.
Concra and others began to look at an area behind the building, where the restaurant's patio with several tables for two was already located. The parking lot directly behind the patio that was bordered by a garden festooned with Edison-style lights offered possibilities. "The owners contacted Tait Towers, who quickly came up with a stage to rent us," said Concra, who noted that the structure is allowed by the borough under the special exemptions permitted in the aftermath of the shutdown. The stage accommodates eight tables, which were brought out from inside the restaurant, offering seating for 24. Across the parking lot, an area with a rug can accommodate three more tables for two.
The outdoor area opened in the evenings in mid-June. The area is open on Tuesdays through Thursdays, from 5 to 8 p.m. and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations are not necessary, but they may be made by calling 717-625-0405, ext. 1001. Menus and other information about the restaurant may be found at http://www.roosterst.com.
Currently, the restaurant offers disposable menus and counter service for the patio area. "We aren't yet doing table service, but come inside to order, and we bring it out," said Concra, who noted that it is necessary to wear a mask when entering the restaurant.
Another change is a raised bed vegetable and flower garden that was added to the area between the stage and the street during the quarantine. "Some of the vegetables (from the garden) will be used in the restaurant," said Concra. "There are herbs (growing, and) the basil will be used."
Concra said that the restaurant hopes to continue offering outside dining even as the county transitions into the green phase, when partial occupancy may be allowed in restaurants. "We hope to continue this as long as the borough allows," she said.
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