Open-business rally proposed in Unity to urge easing of covid-19 restrictions

Local restaurant and small business owners anxious to see covid-19 restrictions eased in order to welcome back patrons plan to rally this month along Route 30 in Westmoreland County.

Jamie Huemme, co-owner of Sharky’s Cafe in Unity, and township Supervisor Mike O’Barto are organizing the rally. They plan to hold an organizing meeting at 9 p.m. Monday outside Sharky’s, the bar and restaurant located at 3960 Lincoln Highway. Small business owners are invited to attend.

O’Barto noted he is not officially representing the township in his support of the rally, which is tentatively scheduled to be held May 16 in the vicinity of Sharky’s. Details, including the message rally participants want to convey to Gov. Tom Wolf, will be topics of Monday’s gathering.

“We want to do whatever we can to get the governor’s attention to open things soon, with the new normal measures,” Huemme said. “We want to be a voice for the community. We want to get our people back to work.”

Wolf plans to announce Friday the next area’s of Pennsylvania to be moved to the yellow phase of the state’s tiered reopening plan.

Westmoreland was not included among two dozen counties — in northcentral and northwestern Pennsylvania — that on Friday will enter the yellow phase that will relax some statewide restrictions on business and social activities that were meant to help limit the spread of covid-19 infections.

In that partially relaxed phase, retailers will be allowed to conduct business with customers in person, though state officials say distancing through delivery or curbside pickup will be preferred. Restaurants will continue to be limited to carry-out or delivery business.

Huemme said she’s grateful for the support Sharky’s has received from customers during the pandemic, but the restaurant still has lost close to 80% of normal sales due to the restrictions.

“Those kinds of margins are not enough to sustain a business,” she said.

During the state-enforced restrictions, Huemme said, her restaurant has laid off 85% of its staff, though it has recalled some workers to help with interior remodeling. Whenever Sharky’s can again offer dine-in meals, she said, it will have spacing guidelines in place for customers, temperature checks and sanitizing procedures.

Staff will continue to wear masks and gloves, in accordance with health guidelines, she said.

During Monday’s planning meeting in the Sharky’s parking lot, Huemme said, “We are going to follow every type of social distancing protocol. Everyone needs to be 6 feet apart and wear a mask.”

She said if too many people show up for the gathering, which is not limited to businesses in Unity, they may need to remain in their vehicles to stay far enough apart.

O’Barto said he’s received plenty of responses after promoting the meeting through social media.

”This all came about because of the frustration from not only our restaurant owners, but also our small businesses,” he said. “We’re not calling this a protest; we’re calling it a rally.

“This is more about common sense. We are adults and we know how to practice common sense. We need to help our small business community as much as we can.”

He said he’s convinced local restaurants are “prepared to do whatever it takes to create a safe environment and be able to open up and keep people employed.”

Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, said she intends to attend the rally, if able, to “support these businesses that have been struggling and are asking for some help.”

She said state legislators are looking at measures to assist many business sectors in moving toward more normal operations, but she said Wolf’s phase-in plan offers restaurant owners “nothing to look forward to. He’s not even giving them a timeline.

“They’re dying. We need to give them a lifeline.”

She argued that restaurants should have the same opportunity as big box stores to resume regular business while observing social distancing and other pandemic protocols. She suggested outdoor dining as an option that could be considered for restaurants.