Philadelphia Medicine Winter-Spring 2021 - 12

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" We want our staff and guests to be safe, " Yin said. " Our biggest
challenge is to work to make people feel safe, when they worry about
eating at a restaurant. "
Yin said people are opting to eat inside, " meaning they're feeling
safer, " she said.

Hampered a city icon
Restrictions have hampered one restaurant, Ray's Happy Birthday
Bar at 1200 East Passyunk Ave., Philadelphia (at the junction of
Passyunk and Federal), a city icon since 1938.

'Are cooperating'

While Gov. Tom Wolf allows restaurants to operate in the state at
50% capacity, under Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, an establishment
without outdoor seating is allowed only 25% capacity.

Caribou Café adheres strictly to the restrictions and sees great
cooperation from customers.

" See how hard it is to do business in Philadelphia? " said Rosemary
Capozzoli, of the bar.

" They are cooperating, for the most part, " said the café's Matthew
Casella, general manager.

Ray's began in 1938 by Ray Capozzoli, father-in-law to Rosemary.
Rosemary is married to Lou, Ray's son, the bar's owner.

The restaurant, at 1126 Walnut St. in Philadelphia, can usually seat
a total of 45 tables in a normal year. However, at the 25% capacity
limit, he said, they can only seat about 20, including two outside.

The bar is all about celebrating birthdays, which includes a free
shot, " the bell is rung, we sing happy birthday and a photo is taken
for the Facebook page, " Rosemary sad.

The tables are in front under an awning with a gas heater, but
are not enclosed, Casella said.

Luckily for Ray's, the city allowed restaurants and taverns to
develop outdoor seating with no fees, Capozzoli said.

" Customers want to sit outside, so they will brave the cold and
rain, " he said. " They want to be outside. "
The restaurant is open seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. and
the last seating is at 10 p.m.

The bar was rated No. 1 by social media for karaoke, running
Friday night from 9 p.m. to 1:45 a.m. But Ray's was open at 7 a.m.
to accommodate breakfast for those leaving work, and open until
almost 2 a.m. each day.

The café's website notes the restaurant has reopened under " strict
restrictions, " the café notes, per the Pennsylvania Health Department,
" for the safety of our staff and our customers. "

There used to be musical groups and comedy shows that the
pandemic has put on hold.

On the website, Caribou posts the rules in strict fashion, upfront:
* No masks, no entry.
* Fever above 100.3 degrees? No service.
* The staff is trained with masks and face shields.
* Hand sanitizing stations are provided.
* The staff is constantly sanitizing counters, tables, menus,
handrails, etc.
" Bear with us, " the restaurant notes. " We will get through this! "

Now the bar is open seven days only from 2 to 10 p.m.

Inside the bar, in normal operations, there are 12 stools and four
tables in front with a back room with five tables.
When weather permitted, before the lockdown imposed by Gov.
Wolf right before the holidays, the bar had seven two-seater tables
outside. Patrons could not come inside, except to use the restrooms,
Capozzoli said.
" Outside did well, " she said.
For its entire existence, the bar allowed smoking.
But when the pandemic hit, smoking was not permitted, according
to Philadelphia's rules.
In addition, the bar had to comply with ventilation filter regulations.
If the bars and restaurants cooperated under a compliance agreement, they could operate at 50% capacity. However, any violation
would drive the capacity back down to 25%, with no hope of opening
to 100% until the pandemic was declared over.
How is Ray's coping with the drastic business downturn?
" We own the building, " Capozzoli said.
However, the bills keep coming in, the electric and gas, she said,
which " takes a toll. "
Capozzoli also said the wait staff is affected. Because Wolf 's
mandates ordered that food must be served at bars with a drink
order (there were no stand-alone drink orders allowed), Ray's was
forced to serve hot dogs and pop tarts, she said.

12 Philadelphia Medicine : Winter-Spring 2021

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Philadelphia Medicine Winter-Spring 2021

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