Some Pennsylvania restaurant owners have told the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association that they would defy Gov. Tom Wolf’s order by keeping their dining rooms open.
The state’s shutdown order, which went into effect Saturday, Dec. 12, has already come at a heavy human and financial cost, the PRLA said, quoting a survey conducted over the weekend.
The survey’s 1,546 respondents, representing 5.8% of 26,500 food establishments across Pennsylvania, reported that 26,250 hospitality employees were laid off and more than $1.5 million in food was wasted due to the short notice of the shutdown. Some of the food was donated, the PRLA said.