Restaurants all over NJ closing because of coronavirus infections
The owners of several New Jersey restaurants have closed the eateries after employees tested positive for novel coronavirus — including four of the fourteen restaurants owned by the Harvest Restaurant Group.
Owner Chip Grabowski in a message on the company Facebook page said the Roots Steakhouse and Huntley Taverne in Summit, Addams Tavern in Westfield, and Tabor Road Tavern in Morris Plains are all closed voluntarily until further notice "to err on the side of caution." He did not say how many employees at each restaurant tested positive nor when he plans to reopen.
“With over 1,200 employees in total, our responsibility is to provide them a place of safe gainful employment, which we believe is paramount. It has also been our hope throughout these challenging and uncertain times to provide our neighbors with some sense of normalcy,” Grabowski wrote.
The city of Summit issued a warning about Roots Steakhouse on Friday, warning anyone who had been in the bar area between Nov. 3 and 12 to get a test after "multiple employees" had tested positive for coronavirus.
Grabowski on Tuesday afternoon had not yet responded to New Jersey 101.5's request for more information.
Harvest's 10 other restaurants in Mercer, Morris and Union counties are still open.
Charlie's of Bay Head said on its Facebook page it is closing after "a few" of its employees tested positive.
"Although we were not required by law to close Charlie’s of Bay Head, we decided to do so as a precautionary effort and in the interest of public safety," the restaurant said, adding it plans to reopen after it is professionally sanitized.
The owner of Homegrown Coffee Bar & Surf Lounge in Manasquan said on the restaurant's Facebook page after learning he had been exposed he immediately closed and sent his staff home.
"We hope to be open asap but out of an abundance of caution we will play it safe. Please take this very seriously. We have from the beginning and we were still vulnerable. Don't take any unnecessary chances," the restaurant wrote.
Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ