COVID-19 In Pittsburgh: Shop Local To Support Businesses This Holiday Season, Owners Say After New Restrictions
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - As the number of positives cases of the coronavirus continues to soar, businesses are having to adjust. New restrictions will be put into place in less than 24 hours and they directly impact many of our local shops.
Shadyside is like a lot of neighborhoods in the city. Restaurants, bars, taverns and shops rely on foot traffic to do well. But with new restrictions coming, many people won't be stopping to stop, shop and eat like they used to.
Starting at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, restaurants and bars like William Penn Tavern will not be allowed to have its customers dine in.
"Extreme anger. We seem to be the industry that gets picked out by, hand-picked by the government," said owner Richard Rattner.
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Rattner is the owner of William Penn Tavern and the president of Shadyside Chamber of Commerce. Restaurants and businesses in the neighborhood rely on each other to succeed.
"All the stores are in jeopardy by limiting the number of people that can come in. And most of the mom and pops, we have some sense of online presence, but really not to the extent that we can compete with the larger boxes," said Rattner.
According to Gov. Tom Wolf and Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, restrictions are needed as more people are dying from the virus and the positive cases are putting a strain on our hospitals.
Rattner says now really is the time for the community and organizations to think local and shop local.
"I think that a lot of the foundations in Pittsburgh need to step up and really look at their home base and spend money where they live as opposed to looking at the larger picture right now," said Rattner.
The new mitigation efforts will last three weeks, ending Jan. 4.