Outdoor Dining In Cinnaminson May Be Extended Amid Pandemic

CINNAMINSON, NJ — After being closed either completely or partially for most of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic, restaurants in New Jersey were allowed to reopen inside with limited capacity Sept. 4.

But with a mandate that indoor gatherings not exceed 25 people or 25 percent of capacity, many smaller restaurants found it didn’t make sense to reopen inside, as some restaurant owners told Patch they would have actually lost money on the deal.

Cinnaminson Township Committee took a step toward helping restaurant owners in these situations when it introduced an amendment to extend outdoor dining for another 180 days Monday night.

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In July, the committee approved a proposal that allowed restaurants and bars in the township to serve food and drink outside for 120 days. Read more here: Cinnaminson Gives Final Approval To Outdoor Dining Plan

That ordinance is set to expire in October, so Township Committee introduced the amendment to extend the ordinance 180 days, the largest extension permitted, on Monday night. The public hearing and final vote will take place Oct. 5.

The Jughandle Inn was one of the restaurants that decided not to reopen for indoor dining immediately, but remains open outside and for delivery. It said it would continue to reassess the situation.

While some restaurants were unable to reopen inside, others were. Read more: These Cinnaminson Restaurants Will Offer Indoor Dining Friday

The Cinnaminson Diner was among the restaurants that reopened, and was featured on TV for their booth dividers.

Read more here: Cinnaminson Mayor Applauds Return Of Indoor Dining To New Jersey

Are you a restaurant owner and would like to have your indoor dining plans included on Cinnaminson Patch? Email Anthony.Bellano@patch.com

See more stories about New Jersey's coronavirus recovery.