Restaurants are not used to seeing empty tables on New Year's Eve, one of their busiest nights.

"A lot of up and down emotions," said Jesse Pfliger, owner of Nonna Rosa's.

Pfliger bought the downtown Robbinsdale establishment just this year.

"It's been interesting, that's for sure, it's definitely had it's moments of very challenging times," Pfliger said.

Over in St. Louis Park, David Benowitz and The Block are packing up to-go orders with indoor dining not an option.

"So, when we bring something to the table that might seem crazy, they say, 'Oh, let's try it out and see if it works,'" Benowitz, owner of The Block, said.

This comes after lawmakers passed the second federal COVID-19 relief bill.

"We were very happy to see the new plan signed off on," Benowitz said.

The first rollout created confusion for some because of a complicated application process and loopholes for large corporations.

"I think you're going to see a more streamlined process," Ben Wogsland, director of Government Relations with Hospitality Minnesota, said.

Wogsland said the revamped Paycheck Protection Program will offer forgivable loans providing an additional 3 1/2 months of payroll. Plus, it'll be for places that employ less than 300 people and those who can show a 25% drop in sales during at least one quarter of 2020.

"The additional round of PPP and the state relief are going to help some folks hopefully be able to pay some bills, pay their vendors, pay their rent, and do those things to try and keep the lights on," Wogsland said.

"Any money like that coming in certainly helps, and it allows you to take a breath," Pfliger said.

Wogsland hopes there's more to come.

"We're definitely going to have to keep working with the government and our communities to make sure that these folks survive," Wogsland said.

In the meantime, it's about creativity to keep the doors open in 2021 and beyond.

"I've been telling my team I think 2021 is going to be the best year for our company," Benowitz said.

The current statewide restrictions on indoor dining run out on Jan. 11, so many places are eagerly awaiting to see if they can reopen on that date.

If you're a small business owner and want more information on the latest federal relief package, visit the link here.