Make your reservations now! Starting Friday, dining al fresco will be optional in New Jersey.  This morning Governor Phil Murphy tweeted the following:

“Restaurants statewide will be able to open for indoor dining beginning this FRIDAY at 25% capacity and with social distancing between tables. Reopening responsibly will help us restore one of our state’s key industries while continuing to make progress against #COVID19.”

Unsurprisingly, Eric Speck, co-owner of the Downtown hot spot Pet Shop, approves of the move.  “As a restaurant and bar, we are excited to initiate limited indoor dining, especially as our patrons look to move inside during the colder months. We think the guidelines the state put forth seem reasonable and we plan to make the safety of our staff and patrons the utmost priority.”

Bill Gray, co-owner of Light Horse Tavern, reports that  “lots of neighbors are excited that the restaurant can reopen. Everyone misses the Light Horse Tavern Meatloaf.”

It’s been a long time in coming.  It was on March 16th, as the seriousness of the pandemic became clear, that Governor Murphy closed restaurants for eat-in dining.  See video.