'Financially, It Does Not Make Sense' | Some Baltimore Restaurants Opt Not To Open At 50% Capacity; Rely Solely On Carryout
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- George Vasiliades sits alone at a booth in his family's restaurant, Sip & Bite Dinner.
"It's been in the family since 1948," he said.
For 72 years, their establishment thrived. But, even for a Baltimore landmark, the past six months have been hard.
"These are terrible times, terrible times for everybody," Vasiliades said.
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His son and daughter-in-law now run the restaurant.
But, as Mayor Jack Young eases restrictions, allowing indoor dining to resume at 50 percent capacity, the struggle continues.
"Financially, it does not make sense to be at 50 percent," Sofia Vasiliades said. "We need to be at 100."
And until that happens, they will continue relying solely on take-out.
"We will thrive and we will survive," Sofia Vasiliades said.
True Chesapeake Oyster in Woodberry is also fighting to survive. They were only open for five months when the pandemic hit.
"The wind was totally taken out of our sails, the rug was pulled out from under us, and just like so many businesses, we had to hit the reset button," Patrick Hudson, the Owner of True Chesapeake Oyster, said.
Now they're relying heavily on outdoor seating, great for fall weather, but less than ideal as winter approaches.
"When it's too cold for outdoor seating and we have to rely completely on indoor seating, I don't know what to say, it doesn't look good," Hudson said.
Both restaurants said they're in a tough spot because they want to open at 100 percent, but also want to make sure that everyone is safe.
They are following all the CDC guidelines for cleaning, sterilizing and wearing masks. They just hope the restrictions are lifted soon.
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