Diners able to sit at bars for first time in months

Restaurants are still slowly gaining back certain things that they lost back in November at the start of the state pause.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – Bar areas are back open in Rhode Island after months of being shut down.

“It’s huge! The bartenders are so excited to have guests at their bar again,” said Manager at Il Massimo Lesely Hall.

Restaurants are still slowly gaining back certain things that they lost back in November at the start of the state pause.

Managers say it’s great to be able to get more people in the door, especially since the bar seating counts toward their capacity.

“I’m glad for the opportunity to be open, especially on a busy weekend like Valentine’s Day weekend,” said Manager at Trattoria Zooma Dino Difante.

Though the bar areas can reopen, they have to close by 11 P.M. and must seat separate parties either six feet apart, or have them separated by plexiglass and three feet apart on either side of the plexiglass.

“Basically we’re doing everything we possibly can to make sure you can safely have a cocktail at the bar,” said Hall.

But besides cocktails, Difante says some people just prefer bar seating for their meal.

“There’s a lot of patrons – they love to sit at the bar,” said Difante.

Leah Barton is one of them. She says her and her husband had a reservation at Trattoria Zooma Friday night, and when they saw the bar area was open they jumped at the opportunity to sit there.

“Just interacting with the bartenders is a little bit different, and you need another drink and they come over and get you another drink,” said Barton. “It just feels back to normal!”

“I think people need to feel that personal relationship again,” said Difante. “That’s really, really important. So I think people are eager to come out and experience that again.”

If you are looking to enjoy bar seating at your favorite restaurant this weekend, there is a max of four people, or two households, per party.