WASHINGTON — Bars and restaurants around the district once again saw crowds on Sunday following the lifting of almost all capacity restrictions.
Eateries in Chinatown near Capital One Arena saw some of the biggest action of the day as Capitals fans headed to the do-or-die playoff game at night.
Inside ChopHouse & Brewery, just a block from the arena, servers saw a surge of customers and reservations before the game.
According to general manager Scott Fulps, 60 guests were booked between 5 and 5:30 p.m. before puck drop.
"Prior to this maybe two months ago, that would have been the entire day. That would have been more than the entire day," he said. "The guest counts are excellent and they’re rising and people are exuberant.”
Beginning on Friday, restaurants, gyms, retail stores, churches, and other spots got the green light from the city to remove all COVID-related restrictions.
According to Mayor Muriel Bowser's order, bars and nightclubs could expand to 50% capacity. Come June 11, they and large sports and entertainment arenas are allowed to fully reopen.
However, the reopenings also bring some challenges.
At ChopHouse and many other restaurants, staffing levels remain very low.
Fulps told WUSA 9 that he estimated his team was about half the size it would normally be.
"We're just trying to find the right servers and bartenders and cooks and we're hiring for all positions," he said. "Where the job sites used to be filled full of applicants, now the applicant pool is thinning out.”
The lifting of restrictions in DC came as other areas around the region still have limitations in place.
While all outdoor capacity limits have been lifted in Montgomery County, businesses, restaurants and houses of worship must adhere to 75% capacity indoors.
However, due to the increasing rate of vaccinations in the county, leadership recently announced that all county restrictions for capacity and social distancing will end on May 28th.
With the reopenings bringing obvious progress, the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce said it expected some businesses to still require masks inside.
"I think the owners and managers of businesses want to convey the message to their customers that they are maintaining a safe environment," said President and CEO Gigi Godwin.
Currently, everyone in must continue to wear masks on public transportation and while inside schools and health care facilities in Montgomery County.
Moving forward, ChopHouse remained excited for the summer and the return of more customers.
"Optimism is the word. Joy is another word," said Fulps. "When more understand that restrictions are lifted, they’re going to want to come outside and visit their friends and family they haven’t seen for a year or over.”