SCRANTON, Pa. — It was a busy evening on Friday at Backyard Ale House for the first night the bar could welcome customers back for outdoor dining.
Employees here said the bar near Courthouse Square was booked solid from 11 A.M. to 10 P.M.
"We have a long way to go before we're fully recovered with everything that happened but it's obviously a step in the right direction," Co-owner Bill Nasser said.
"I think they have a perfect set up here. Everyone is having a good time. No one is too close you know, it's fun," Zach Fiume of Throop said.
Reopening day also coincided with a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Scranton.
Hundreds of demonstrators came together on Courthouse Square.
Employees at Bar Pazzo, on the other side of Washington Avenue, said they were not at all worried the peaceful demonstration would affect business.
"No, not at all. I mean honestly, they were over there. It was incredibly organized and it was incredibly peaceful so it did not affect us at all," manager Gavin Esham said.
Bar Pazzo welcomed more than 100 customers for outdoor dining on the sidewalk on opening night with employees wearing masks and guests seated at tables placed six feet apart.
"I definitely feel safe. I think that in my opinion, I think it's time for us to get back and try to start to enjoy ourselves and see how things go in a safe and appropriate manner," Lauren Moroski of Dalton said.