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KLCC s Melorie Begay reports on what restaurants in Springfield and Eugene are seeing now that Lane County has been given the greenlight to offer indoor dinning. This audio story was broadcasted on March 5.
Under high risk guidelines set by the governor, bars, restaurants, breweries, and wineries can offer indoor dining. Some of the guidelines include not exceeding 25% capacity or having a maximum of 50 people indoors, and limiting groups to six people.
In Springfield, Pig and Turnip owner Natalie Shield said the past few days have been busy, with the exceptions of a few rainy days. With indoor dining guidelines, she said they’re able to seat about 50 people.
Eugene Weekly spoke via Zoom with newlyweds Matt and Molly Newhard, and Ben Weibe and Ruth Ames. Both couples say they found themselves getting closer during the pandemic, despite or perhaps because of the closeness it induced.
The Newhards were married on Aug. 4, 2019, about six months before the shutdown. Molly Newhard bartends at First National Taphouse downtown, and Matt Newhard was front-of-house manager of the now-closed La Perla. They are originally from Colorado.
They didn’t go on their honeymoon directly following the wedding, planning instead to do that on a later date. “We went on an annual Valentine’s day trip to Leavenworth, Washington, and they were already being shut down up there,” Matt Newhard says of their honeymoon.