Contra Costa county restaurants prepare for Red Tier reopening
Wide angle shot of a fence and buildings across the road from Gott's Roadside Restaurant in Walnut Creek, California, February 4, 2021. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
CONTRA COSTA, Cali. - A mass administration of COVID-19 vaccines is opening the doors for reopenings in two Bay Area counties; Contra Costa and Sonoma.
In Contra Costa county, back of the house chefs are the only people allowed indoors in restaurants. The Main Street Kitchen in Walnut Creek hasn't allowed customers inside since December,
"We are super excited and thrilled, especially since tomorrow is supposed to rain," said Arash Ghasemi, the restaurant's owner.
Rain and cold weather makes outdoor dining harder to attract customers. That's the reality for Contra Costa, as it still sits in the Purple Tier of the state's reopening system. However, thanks to a statewide vaccine milesone, the county will shfit to the Red Tier on Sunday. That means indoor dining can return at 25% capacity.
"Looking forward to it like you don't know," said a local Bay Area resident.
"I'm really excited! It's nice to get back to normal again," said another.
Ghasemi says he's especially excited to show off his newly rennovated restauant, which includes a brand new bar.
"It's a big improvement," he said.
Contra Costa was already on track to enter the Red Tier Tuesday, when the state Department of Public Health releases new COVID-19 data.