Bucks County Restaurants, Gyms Defying COVID-19 Restrictions
BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Restaurant, bar and gym owners across Pennsylvania are openly defying COVID-19 mitigation orders put in place by Gov. Tom Wolf earlier this month.
They say the latest restrictions, which include a ban on indoor dining and the closure of all indoor gyms through Jan. 4, take it a step too far.
When the pandemic was raging in April and Anne Vollmer was forced to shut down her Hungarian restaurant, Babushka's, in Quakertown, she understood the reasoning. This time around, she feels like the restaurant and hospitality industry have been unfairly targeted and is less inclined to cooperate. She also feels obligated to her staff.
"I have a commitment to my employees to keep them working," Vollmer said. "They rely on that income. They have family members that rely on them to help contribute towards income.
"I feel at this point, nine months in, people have the right to choose whether they want to go out to eat," she added.
Vollmer is not alone. Twelve businesses in Bucks County, including gyms, bars and restaurants, are listed on an online petition as "businesses that are standing up to the unconstitutional mandate of governor Wolf."
Restaurants that remain open for indoor dining include Proper Brewing Company in Quakertown, Cafe at the Mill in Sellersville, the Dam Good Cafe in Dublin and the Roy Ann Diner in Sellersville. Gyms that remain open include Crunch Bensalem, Crossfit Mad Hatter in Pipersville, Horsham Athletic Club, Urge Fitness and the Newtown Athletic Club.
Related: 356 PA Businesses Defy Gov. Wolf's COVID-19 Mitigation Orders
Check out some of the business owners' responses to the restrictions below:
I am writing this without any permissions or disclosure to the bosses..so bear with me. Over the course of the last...
Posted by The Proper Brewing Company on Tuesday, December 15, 2020
DG Cafe Family:For ten years our family has safely served our community. In March, we followed suit and did our part,...
Posted by Dam Good Cafe on Thursday, December 10, 2020
Cafe Family:For ten years our family has safely served our community. In March, we followed suit and did our part,...
Posted by Cafe at The Mill on Thursday, December 10, 2020
The Roy Ann Diner has been serving the community for over 67 years. After careful consideration we have decided that we...
Posted by Roy Ann Diner on Tuesday, December 15, 2020
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This article originally appeared on the Doylestown Patch
