Dec. 8—After shuttering for more than a week due to flu and COVID-19 concerns, Grand Traverse Pie Company is slated to reopen Friday to in-person dining.

The restaurant had voluntarily closed on Nov. 29. The business continued to make pies on order.

"It was one of those things coming out of Thanksgiving, which is our busiest pie week, everybody in the building working closely together, we had several people come down with flu-like symptoms, so we let them out. Then I had a couple people test for COVID-19," said Steve Huddleston, general manager.

"To be safe to employees and the public, we made decision to shut it down" in November, Huddleston said, as employees work in close quarters.

"You penalize yourself, but we did what was right," Huddleston said to prevent further spread of the flu and the COVID-19 virus among the public.

Employees have all tested negative for COVID-19 and all employees will be required to wear masks through the end of this year when the restaurant reopens at the end of this work week.

"There is a bad flu going around and we have been into COVID for two years, even though we didn't officially shut down until March (of 2020)," Huddleston said.

"This was our first experience with [COVID-19]. We have done everything on our part to be safe and protect our employees and customers. You can't watch everybody every second of the day" or control where employees go after work, he said.

"Had everybody been vaccinated, would it have been the answer? No, but it would have been better as we would not have had to shut down for a week and a half," Huddleston said. "We are following all the [COVID] protocols," adding employees take daily temperatures and answer questions on COVID symptoms.

"I know some people through these two years that have had issues inside restaurants and refused to shut down and let their people work with COVID. That is selfish and is not the right thing to do," he said.

The restaurant on Friday will return to regular daily hours of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Grand Traverse Pie Company opened on Aug. 27, 2007 at the corner of Third and Cherry streets in Terre Haute. Michigan-based Grand Traverse Pie Company marked its 25th year in business in July.

Reporter Howard Greninger can be reached 812-231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com. Follow on Twitter@TribStarHoward.