GREENFIELD — Grabbing a sit-down meal outdoors is no longer out of the question in Massachusetts, but it is going to look a little different.
“I’ll get accustomed to whatever we have to,” said Greenfield resident Tracey Range, who was at Mesa Verde for lunch Tuesday.
As of Monday, restaurants are allowed to expand their services to include outdoor dining, under the second phase of Gov. Charlie Baker’s plan to safely reopen the economy after much of it shut down to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Resuming outdoor seating comes with a number of guidelines for businesses to follow, including spacing tables 6 feet apart, seating a maximum of six guests per table, and ensuring minimal time is spent between customers and employees when 6 feet of separation is not possible. Masks are still required of customers and employees when social distancing isn’t possible.
Sitting at one of the four tables outside the Mexican restaurant on Fiske Avenue, Range said that if anything, the new setup of the patio — which includes plastic barriers between each of the tables — creates a more private dining experience.
Sitting across from him, Greenfield resident Monica Williams said that outside of the dividers, the experience didn’t feel all that different.
“It’s nice to be able to sit outside again,” she said.
Both Range and Williams said they are excited to see local businesses start to pick up again, and do so in a safe way.
Sitting a few tables down from them, Maureen Sky of Bernardston said she was glad to see the restaurant open for outdoor dining when she stopped by on Tuesday for lunch with her daughter, Gina Russell, and her granddaughter, Kennedy.
“We were happy to see that they were (open),” Sky said. “We love being out and about. It feels good, but it’s a little weird.”
Sky said she knows it’s been a rough few months for local businesses, many of which have suffered financially due to the shutdown brought on by the pandemic, so she’s happy to see things start to reopen again.
“I hope these local businesses do thrive,” she said.
Dining out is not only an important part of the local economy, it’s a large part of people’s social lives, Russell said.
“This is the part of your social life you most look forward to,” she said, adding that everyone is just trying to adapt to a new way of doing things.
Before Monday, restaurants like Mesa Verde and El Greco were only permitted to offer takeout, delivery or curbside service.
“We’ve been doing good,” said Kosta Pitaridis, manager of El Greco on Main Street, who noted his restaurant remained open for takeout during the shutdown. “We’ve been lucky.”
Pitaridis said he brought a handful of tables outside yesterday for patrons. The two-person tables are set up at least 6 feet apart and on either side of the sidewalk.
“Lots of people are excited to sit outside and eat,” he said.
As a small business, Pitaridis said following the state’s guidelines for outdoor dining wasn’t too much of a challenge.
“You just have to be aware of what’s happening,” he said.
Terrazza on Country Club Road also reopened its outdoor seating Monday. There, patrons can sit on one of two large decks where nine tables are set up at least 6 feet apart, said General Manager Abaz Cecunjanin.
“So far, people are calling and making reservations, and just showing up, as well,” he said.
Like Pitaridis, Cecunjanin said offering outdoor seating amid all the guidelines hasn’t been too much of an adjustment.
“It’s more about being cautious about which way you enter and which way you exit (the deck),” Cecunjanin said, as far as ensuring that customers and employees are maintaining a safe distance from one another.
The restaurant has extended its hours from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., he said, and curbside service and delivery are still available.
The Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub on Colrain Road, which wasn’t previously set up for outdoor dining, has transformed a portion of its parking lot into a dining area.
“We are very excited to reopen our doors to these local communities and our loyal guests so they can enjoy their favorite meal at a great value,” said Charlie Noyes, president of the restaurant chain, in a statement from the company. “Our top priority remains the health and safety of our guests and team members, and I assure you that our staff is diligently following precautions to ensure each visit is as safe as it is enjoyable.”
According to the reopening plan, indoor dining is expected to resume, with restrictions, at a later date during the second phase, provided that public health data supports it being safe to do so.