Michigan restaurants reopened indoor dining on February 1 under revised conditions which include a 25% capacity limit and a 10 p.m. curfew. The reopening follows a nearly 3-month ban implemented by Gov. Whitmer to prevent the spread of COVID.
This partial return to regular indoor dining proved to be a delight for many Hillsdale students, eager to experience the social aspect of going out to eat again.
Sophomore Aly Janke celebrated the reopening of restaurants with friends by going to the Hunt Club for a late dinner.
“It was awesome to get to have the community aspect of dinner back; I definitely missed that a lot.”
Janke mentioned that she was finally able to study at Rough Draft again and enjoyed a latte while doing homework and spending time with her sister.
Senior Sam Swayze went to El Cerritos and PNG (Here’s to You Pub & Grub) and said that the environments of both restaurants were back to normal.
Junior Natalie Kent said that the first place she visited after the reopening was El Cerritos, and she and her significant other, Reed, were not the only ones there.
“When we walked in the door, we were one of 5 parties waiting to be sat, in what was already a decently busy dining area,” said Kent. “All the patrons we encountered, many of whom were friends and other Hillsdale students, seemed just as glad to be back as Reed and I were.”
Like Aly, Natalie noted that the most enjoyable part of returning to indoor dining was the community aspect.
“Although the food was wonderful, perhaps the most enjoyable part of the return to in-person dining was the feeling of the restored community, and support to small business,” Kent said.