Duluth local restaurants, bars and entertainment venues are working extra hard this weekend to get everything ready to welcome customers back Monday for indoor service at limited capacity.

Health and safety is a top priority for places like the Boat Club Restaurant.

"The great thing about the Duluth restaurant community is we have been doing it safely all along. We've been really leading the state and having precautions and health standards for our customers and so those are just going to continue as they were before we were shut down," said Jason Vincent, owner of the Boat Club Restaurant.

This means keeping people six feet apart, limited bar seating, sanitizing and mask requirements. Gov. Tim Walz released the new guidelines Wednesday saying restaurants and bars can operate at 50 percent capacity and entertainment venues at 25 percent capacity.

Vincent said they have a new menu and look forward to seeing customers back and most importantly, having their employees working again.

Vincent said this last closure was a hard hit. He said the holidays are the busiest time of the year for them. Vincent added that they're looking forward to starting fresh this new year and get employees back to work.

"The hardest part for me with this closure has been not having the support for my employees this time around. There's a lot of built up excitement with our staff to get back to work," said Vincent.

Skyline Social & Games staff echoed the same feeling.

"We're excited to have all our employees back, to get back to somewhat normal and secondly we're excited to see our customers. Our leagues are going to get going right away on Monday," said Skyline Social & Games general manager Corey Kolquist.

Kolquist said their phones have been ringing off the hook with customers calling to book events like birthday parties. He said customers can expect to get temperature checks at the door and said reservations will be required.

"We'll direct you to your area depending on if you're bowling or duck pinning or playing in the arcade. We have a big facility here, 40,000 square feet, so we have no problem social distancing everyone and then we'll have hand sanitizing stations throughout the facility. All the balls and equipment that you need for bowling for example are already at the lane and will have a lane buffer," said Kolquist.

They also have extra staff on hand to sanitize and clean between each party.

"When each group gets done we jump in and get everything cleaned up. The big thing we're trying to prevent is customers walking throughout the building. We want them to stay in their pod," said Kolquist.

As a reminder, there can be no more six people to a table or parties of two seated at the bar and 10 p.m. is the service cut-off.

To read the original report and see related stories, follow this link to the WDIO-TV website.  https://www.wdio.com/duluth-minnesota-news/restaurants-bars-venues-indoor-service-preps/5972481/?cat...