JIM THORPE, Pa. - The outdoor dining area at Molly Maguire’s in Jim Thorpe is typically full of guests dining six feet apart. Indoor dining here is no longer an option. Owner Mark Behan says he decided that when restaurants had to reduce indoor capacity from 50 percent to 25 percent.
Iit wouldn’t be sustainable, with no bar and the way our rooms are set up we would basically have nine people in each room, including staff. So we just closed the inside and we are going to stick with running outside,” said Behan.
Another added restriction is that bars can’t sell alcohol unless it’s purchased with a meal. Governor Wolf says crowds at bars likely caused a spike in other states, and he’s trying to prevent that here. But the number of Covid-19 cases in Carbon County is significantly low. State Representative Doyle Heffley says he has received hundreds of calls from business owners.
“These businesses, they need to survive. They cannot shut down again, they won’t be here,” said Heffley.