Tiffin restaurants reopen for inside dining, some still waiting

Over the past few weeks, Tiffin's dining establishments have been preparing and opening back up for outside dining and, as of Thursday, May 21, inside dining as well. It has been a strange process for local restaurant owners, first deciding whether it would be feasible to open at all and then, having made that difficult decision, navigating the state's new mandates and safety protocols. These include, among many other stipulations, six feet of distance kept between parties of patrons and employees, rigorous sanitizing procedures, calls for consistent handwashing, masks worn by staff and allowing customers in groups of that don't exceed 10 people. These rules, mandated by the Ohio Department of Health, are readily available for viewing and printing on the Seneca County General Health District website. In addition to state-mandated regulations that have had to be put in place, many owners also have decided to amend their operating hours for the time being to manage the new situation. It's been an extraordinary time to own, work at or patronize a restaurant. "We never shut down, but the last two months have probably been the quietest this place has ever been since it opened in 1936," said Dennis Stevenson, bartender at Clover Club. "Carryout started slow but became a little busier every week, maybe people were getting used to the situation," he said. Clover Club opened for outside dining first and then for inside dining on May 21. Stevenson said it rained almost every day they were open for outside dining only. And now, because of social distancing restrictions, the restaurant is only able to have six tables occupied instead of the usual 13, an issue many downtown Tiffin eateries are dealing with. But it has still been wonderful to see faces back in the place. "It's been difficult, but it's been great having people back in, even in a limited way," he said. "And people have been happy to be back. They come in and just say 'tell us what to do, tell us where we need to go,' it's been nice." MST Pub & Grub (also known as Madison Street Tavern) also has been open for carryout since before the coronavirus pandemic hit, and also delivers to large groups and businesses. The City of Tiffin dropped off a couple of picnic tables near their location on Madison Street, and some MST patrons have taken advantage of this open-air seating. And like many other restaurants, they have introduced curbside service for those picking up orders, so customers can avoid entering the restaurant entirely. Going forward, MST is taking a step-by-step approach to opening for inside dining. "We're going to start opening Monday for lunches, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.," said Jake Moore of MST Pub & Grub. "We're dipping our toe in the water with inside dining, and we'll see how it goes from there." Pioneer Mill, located a few miles outside of downtown Tiffin, is fortunate to have a good deal of "real estate," as owner Scott Lyons put it, and even with the social distancing restriction has been able to keep a good number of tables open inside and on their deck. They still "highly recommend" reservations be made for dining in, as many restaurants in the area are asking, so they can more easily space people apart and not have large groups of people in waiting areas. "We can only have so many people waiting in the lobby at one time, of course," Lyons said. "And we've got every other table available, and we reconfigured the deck to space things out." Lyons said Pioneer's Mill experience over the past few months has been challenging. "All the rules made sense, to keep everybody safe, but it is difficult on restaurants," he said. "The training [for employees], and getting people back to work is a challenge as well. "Some things are hard to get used to, like not having salt and pepper on the table, and not having our salad bar open right now, and carryout is not really our thing, though we have been doing it on Fridays and Saturdays for a while," he said. "But people were sitting outside on our deck that first weekend when it was raining," he said. "And we're thrilled to be open again." And as many other restaurant owners in Tiffin agreed, Lyons figures the only way to move is forward. "It's a different time, but I think in the end we'll all get better for it," he said. The following list includes Tiffin's local restaurants with a history of inside dining that are currently open in some capacity. The list is not comprehensive. Additionally, each restaurant's operating and inside dining situations are subject to change, as many decisions in the process are still left up to individual restaurant owners: • Asian Grill Buffet, 870 W. Market St. (Tiffin Mall). Open for inside dining and carryout. Buffet is open with some changes. • Benchwarmers, 105 Allen St. Open for inside dining, delivery and carryout, with curbside pickup available upon request. • Carmie's BBQ & Grill, 2460 S. SR 231. Open for dine-in, patio dining and carryout, including curbside pickup. • Clover Club, 266 S. Washington St. Open for dine-in, outside patio dining and carryout. • Double Barrel Bar & Grill, 295 Vine St. Open for inside dining, outside dining. • Fort Ball Pizza Palace, 91 N. Washington St. Open for dine-in, carryout and delivery. Menu ordering only for dine-in, buffet and salad bar remain closed. • Fu Lin Buffet, 686 W. Market St. Carryout and delivery, with online ordering. • Golden Crown, 126 Dwight St. Opening for carryout and delivery Monday. • GW's Fine Food and Spirits, 275 S. Washington St. Open for dine-in, patio dining and carryout. • Hunan King, 253 S. Washington St. Carryout and delivery available. • Jolly's Drive-In, 66 E. Market St. Open for inside dining, outside dining, carryout and delivery. • JT's Bagel Bar, 14 Sycamore St. Bagel Buggy will be parked in City Lot 7 Saturdays and Sundays, dates may expand in the future. • MST Pub & Grub, 92 Madison St. Lunch hours open for dining in starting Monday, carryout and delivery also available. • Paulette's, 238 S. Sandusky St. Open for dine-in, outside dining and carryout. • Pioneer Mill of Tiffin, 255 Riverside Dr. Open for inside dining, outside dining and carryout. • Put-N-Pita, 116 S. Washington St. Open for carryout on certain days. • Reino's Pizza and Pasta, 73 E. Market St. Open for inside and outside dining, carryout and delivery. Buffet remains closed. • Rosie's Soup-n-Such, 122 Miami St. Carryout and delivery available. • T.J. Willie's Fine Food & Spirits, 738 W. Market St. Open for dine-in patio dining and carryout. • The Viaduct, 84 N. Washington St. Open for dine-in and carryout. • Xcaret Mexican Restaurant, 870 W. Market St. (Tiffin Mall). Open for inside dining, carryout and delivery. Some Tiffin restaurants remain closed at time of printing, including The Empire at 138, 138 S. Washington St.; Ironwood Steakhouse, 4399 S. SR 231; Phat Cakes & Café, 45 S. Washington St.; and The Wall Street Pub & Grille, 235 Miami St. However, many have indicated they are planning to reopen in the future. For more information, visit SenecaDining.com or check restaurants' Facebook pages.