STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WJAC) — 6 News continues to follow the pandemic impact on the restaurant and bar business and those struggles continue into the new year.
Now, there's word there may be another round of shutdown orders in Pennsylvania.
In Bellefonte, several restaurants initially recently stayed open during the latest state health department order to close.
The Waffle Shop wasn’t one of them.
Greg Kight says the strain of the pandemic is more than just financial -- he hears it every day from customers -- and he's worried about what’s to come.
He says he did what he believes is best for his employees and customers and didn’t even think about staying open.
There’re rumors more closings are coming for Valentine’s Day and the Superbowl, he says.
So what’s it going to take to change the downturn and uncertainty?
Even though some are uncertain about COVID-19 vaccines, for Kight, it’s something to look forward to.
“I say you can’t fall off the floor, we can’t go any lower,” Kight says. “We’ve put men on the moon, we can do this, it’s our best hope.”
The state shut over 100 restaurants recently for defying COVID orders.
Kight has another Waffle Shop in State College -- that one he closed voluntarily months ago.
“When you're in State College and look down College Avenue and don’t see any people moving, it’s very hard, it’s very hard, it has to get better,” Kight says.
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