HAMPTON, Va. — This Memorial Day weekend marks a moment of relief for Hampton Roads businesses. It also marks the unofficial start to summer and the end of statewide coronavirus restrictions.
On Monday it was all smiles at Oozlefinch Beers and Blending in Fort Monroe.
“I guess morale would be high right now," said bartender Stephen Grimes.
A steady line of beer lovers is a welcome sight for Grimes and his coworkers.
“Overall just being able to get more people in by stage and slowly opening up to kind of what we were before the pandemic,” he said.
Monday marked the first pleasant day of weather since Governor Ralph Northam lifted social distance requirements and capacity limits.
For Oozlefinch, it’s a taste of normalcy for the brewery once limited to curbside pickup.
“I think we are really close to where we were before. So it is nice to have some normality again," said Grimes.
Not far away, social distancing requirements had previously meant The Deadrise Fish House could only operate at 30 percent capacity. But now General Manager Charlie Illes wasted no time pulling out tables that have stored away for 15 months.
“Well we can actually make a little bit of money, now,” he said.
Illes said the entire staff is at least partially vaccinated, and they’ve been waiting for the restrictions to drop and business to pick up.
“I could see why we were waiting. A lot quicker than I thought. I thought maybe July 1, but... thanks Governor!" said Illes.