New Jersey entered stage two of Gov. Phil Murphy’s reopening plan on June 15 and many local restaurant operators were ready to provide outdoor dining services to guests.
Since the 2020 coronavirus pandemic began in New Jersey in mid-March, restaurants had only been permitted to offer takeout and delivery services. While indoor dining is still prohibited, outdoor dining, following certain guidelines, is now allowed.
In Red Bank, Pazzo MMX Restaurant is using all available space in front of its building that is a part of the Red Bank Corporate Plaza on West Front Street for outdoor dining.
In addition to tables on a patio and on the sidewalk, the restaurant has added a huge tent on the sidewalk to serve patrons.
General Manager Vincent Rantinella said the restaurant hit the ground running on June 15 and can serve 90 people at a time while adhering to safety guidelines.
Pazzo saw good success with its operation during the first few days of outdoor dining. The restaurant served more than 300 people on June 15 and more than 200 patrons the next two nights, said Rantinella.
Reservations are encouraged, but walk-ins are accommodated.
“We can seat a lot of people at one time, which is a big help for us,” Rantinella said. “A lot of our regulars were interested in coming out and couldn’t wait until we opened. This helps the community. People want to get out and enjoy themselves. It’s very important to them.”
Brian and Jeany Costello came out on June 17 to dine at the establishment and said they felt very comfortable with the outdoor set-up.
It was the couple’s first outdoor dining experience since the pandemic struck the Garden State and the first time they have dined at Pazzo.
“It’s a bit of normalcy,” Brian Costello said. “It was great to get out of the house and have a nice night. They did their best to serve us in a safe way.”
Elizabeth Gulino and Nick Malvasi, who are from Middletown and have been to Pazzo before, said they visited the restaurant because of how safe the outdoor dining set-up looked as they drove by and of course for the food.
“They had a nice set-up and we knew it would be easier to get into,” Malvasi said. “It’s nice to be out. It’s refreshing.”
Owner Marie Dell’Anno is very happy with the support the restaurant has gotten since opening up outdoor dining and with takeout services over the last couple of months since the pandemic began.
The best part, Dell’Anno said, about opening up outdoor dining is the smiles she sees on people’s faces.
“It’s amazing how happy people are to be out and it makes us happy,” the owner said.
On Broad Street in downtown Red Bank, The Robinson Ale House has set up six to seven tables on the sidewalk in front of its establishment to provide outdoor dining for customers.
According to General Manager Dana Notarnicola, the restaurant was planning to add more tables by extending out to the street.
The extended set-up will only be available on Thursday night and all day on Friday and Saturday going forward.
“The weekend days we tend to be busier and it will help us serve more people,” Notarnicola said.
As for how outdoor dining had been going since opening on June 15, Notarnicola said the restaurant had been full.
Holmdel residents Natalie Klobuchar, Jodie Perrotti and Alychia Buchan came out with their husbands for a “long overdue” get-together at the restaurant on June 17.
The couples said they were happy to support Red Bank in their first outdoor dining experience since the pandemic struck New Jersey.
“It’s great timing,” Perrotti said. “We were able to come out and celebrate the start of summer. Robinson Ale House was wonderful. Single server. Disposable menus. Plenty of spacing. We were all very comfortable.”
“We want to support Red Bank,” Buchan said. “Robinson Ale House has great food. The service was great.”
A reservation was necessary to dine at the restaurant, according to the couples. The guests said they hope the availability of outdoor dining will lead more people to support local restaurants.
The operators of the New Monmouth Diner, Route 35, Middletown, have set up a tent and tables with umbrellas throughout most of the parking lot in the back of the diner to host guests.
The outdoor dining experience also provides live music for patrons.
“This (outdoor dining) will definitely help out our business a bit,” owner Michael Minas said. “We are so happy to be back. We got a lot of great reviews from people who came on the first day.”
Minas said he will continue to provide outdoor dining for the remainder of the summer, even if indoor dining at some capacity is eventually permitted.
Nana’s Kitchen, which is just down the highway in the Fountain Ridge Plaza, hopes to start providing outdoor dining for guests by the end of June.
The restaurant’s event planner, Gina Venezio, said the operators of Nana’s Kitchen are hoping to debut outdoor dining on June 26, but that date was not definite as of June 17.
Nana’s Kitchen has not been closed since the pandemic began, according to owner William Nassar’s GoFundMe Page. It’s affiliate, Fresh Bistro in Highlands, is currently open for outdoor dining.