Restaurants excited to reopen, but not out of the woods yet

Kalamazoo’s oldest continually operating bar is reopening for indoor service at 11am Monday. But for Louie’s Trophy House, simply letting diners back indoors won’t be enough to eliminate its struggles.

Restaurants in Michigan are being allowed to resume indoor dining on Monday after being restricted for more than ten weeks. The state’s health department ordered all restaurants and bars to shutter indoor dining rooms in a move that was extended twice.

Louie’s cheered the reopening on its Facebook page, urging customers to “COME CELEBRATE AT KALAMAZOO’S OLDEST BAR!”

But it isn’t a free-for-all just yet. Restaurants will be limited to 25% capacity indoors and there will be a 10pm curfew.

Louie’s, like most other restaurants in Michigan, will still struggle to keep its business afloat even after reopening. Across the state restaurant revenues have plummeted in the past year, especially after the partial shutdown. And with restrictions in place, those revenues likely won’t return to normal anytime soon.

You can read more on Bridge Michigan.