Gov. Wolf expected to veto bill that would relax COVID-19 bar restrictions

BENSALEM, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The Pennsylvania House and Senate tossed a lifeline to struggling restaurants and bars on Wednesday. Both bills would loosen COVID-19 restrictions, but Governor Tom Wolf as promised a veto.

At the Eddington House in Bensalem, cardboard cutouts line the bar where customers usually sit. It lightens the mood for workers, but the cutouts don't pay. Owner Gina Gramiak says it would be nice, after all these months, to replace them with customers who do.

"How about just restrict us to cut off at 11 o'clock but give us back the bar?" she said. "The bar end of it, because your percentage is there, it definitely would help."

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The Pennsylvania legislature is trying to help bars and restaurants with a bill that would allow for service to resume at bars and for patrons to order alcohol without food.

Not far away at the Golden Eagle Diner in Bristol, this would be a huge help.

Owner Huseyin Gunaydin said, "If you look around, no customers right now."

He says his bar stools would look much better at the bar with customers in them. But now they're against their wall for those waiting to be seated.