Outdoor seating and kayaks are part of plans for Penn’s Tavern
SUNBURY – More restaurants in the Valley are starting to plan for reopening when their county goes green, and owner of Penn’s Tavern, Tom Mertz, says they’re fortunate to be situated in an area where outdoor seating can be a big part of their plan.
Northumberland County, still in yellow, will allow outdoor seating starting June 5, “We’re probably going to still, basically just do reservations only, just so we know how to control the people that are coming in. And, I’m thinking we’re also going to call them when their order is ready so they can pick up their order one at a time, one table at a time.”
With plans in the works to abide by safety guidelines, Mertz says they will try things such as a separate entrance and exit, spacing of tables and chairs in the bar and restaurant areas for social distancing, and serving orders in reusable baskets with throw-away liners, “It’s almost like starting over, ya know.”
“The feel for how quickly we’re able to provide the service that we’re doing and once we know that we can do it without much of a wait. I think the waiting part is another thing that we have to control, I don’t think we’re going to initially allow people to sit there for hours on end,” he said.
Mertz says they’ve also partnered with Appalachian Kayak who rent kayaks starting mid-June, and also offer shuttled trips from Shady Nook. He says kayaks will be sanitized after each use, and it’s a fun way to get your takeout “to go.”
