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Restaurants are reopening after prolonged closures and staff shortages

Restaurants have had to adapt to ever-shifting COVID requirements and risks.
Sarah Silbiger
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Restaurants have had to adapt to ever-shifting COVID requirements and risks.

Following pandemic-related closures and staffing shortages, some local restaurants are finally, fully opening back up. Many Michiganders are ready to dine in.

The cycle of closures and re-openings is by now a familiar one to some restaurant owners. But with pandemic restrictions easing up, many residents are now feeling more comfortable with the prospect of eating inside.

Matthew Rudd is the general manager and chef at Green Dot Stables in Lansing. He says there was a point last year where he thought they would not be returning, but with Michigan State University students back on campus for more than a semester, the business has picked back up. “The students on campus is a huge benefit for us. We definitely feel when you know, they're not around or you know, definitely in the summer months we slow down,” he said.

As far as COVID safety precautions go, Rudd says he's leaving it up to staff and customers to decide on how cautious they’ll be.

As WKAR's Bilingual Latinx Stories Reporter, Michelle reports in both English and Spanish on stories affecting Michigan's Latinx community. Michelle is also the voice of WKAR's weekend news programs.