SAN DIEGO — With corned beef and cabbage on the menu and Guinness on tap, things are starting to feel a little Irish at Hash House A-Go-Go in Hillcrest on Wednesday.
The popular restaurant on Fifth Avenue has been keeping afloat by doing takeout orders and then expanding into outdoor dining.
And as of Tuesday, the restaurant is finally able to serve customers inside, with 20% capacity.
“You start to really see the light at the end of the tunnel,” said owner Johnny Rivera. “For our crew and everybody that we’re involved with, it’s an amazing thing to be back open.”
The owner said he and his staff have made extra precautions before letting people back inside to eat.
“Not just with the six feet, but wrapping our silverware in plastic,” he says “I brought in this UV light, this thing kills 99% of the coronavirus in the air.”
Like many restaurants, Pollo Grill in Otay Mesa had to adapt to the changes of the pandemic and were able to do successfully. Now with indoor dining resuming, owner Victor Lopez is hoping to cash in on customers wanting to sit down and continuing the practices that kept his business afloat.
“Working with third-party apps, online ordering,” said Lopez. “Going back to inside dining, we’re going to be able to capitalize on both.”
And though there are around five tables available to eat inside Hash House A-Go-Go, the bulk of the customers were enjoying their meals from the outdoor patio. Something that Rivera said just makes sense.
“If you look at the silver lining is we were able to go into areas of the patio or outside. That makes total sense because we live in San Diego,” he said.
Though times have been especially tough for restaurant owners, San Diego County moving into the red tier is definitely a signal that things are moving in the right direction.
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