RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – Vidrio on Glenwood Avenue was one of many restaurants in North Carolina allowed to open its doors Friday evening for dine-in service — its first time doing so in about two months.
Loyal customers like Ryan Kelly were there as the restaurant opened Friday at 5 p.m.
RELATED: Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
“It feels good to be able to sit down and get a nice cocktail and eat a meal that’s not in my apartment,” Kelly said.
Kelly celebrated with a spicy margarita, plenty of laughs, and a charcuterie board.
“We are here, we are open, we are ready to serve our community, and we’re ready to do it safely,” said manager Alex Bridges. “We’re just very excited.”
Bartenders like Matt Gloth are excited to finally get back to work.
“Being out of work for two months was very interesting,” he said. “My wife and I are expecting our first kid.”
The dining room at Vidrio looks a little different. Tables are now spaced six feet apart. Staff members are wearing face coverings and serving food with gloves.
“The last few weeks have been OK. We’re getting ready to reopen. What do we do to make sure that we’re safe for our community?,” Bridges asked.
Employees have gone through the new Count On Me NC program, learning how to spot signs of the virus and how to minimize the risk. They spent weeks prepping to welcome customers back in.
Gloth added: “We feel confident that we’re doing the right thing and taking the proper steps to get back to some sense of normalcy.”
More headlines from CBS17.com:
- SC man facing several child porn charges
- Arthur Ashe statue not leaving Richmond’s Monument Avenue after ‘White Lives Matter’ graffiti
- Wake County parents taking precautions with TikTok amid security concerns
- Franklin County day care is 10th in NC with COVID-19 cluster
- Troopers investigating deadly crash in southern Wake County