As restrictions finish on Monday, enterprise house owners lament missed alternatives – CBS Pittsburgh

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The new beginning of the new year means a lot more for entrepreneurs on the way into 2021.

Entrepreneurs are poised to move forward on Monday after Governor Tom Wolf lifted coronavirus restrictions. On Monday, personal businesses will be 75 percent busy, while restaurants, entertainment venues, gyms, and spas will be 50 percent busy again.

With restrictions expiring next week, gym owner John Rossmiller has an opportunity to attract new members who try to drop those pandemic pounds in the new year.

“Everything has fallen off. People won’t even look, ”said Rossmiller, the owner of the Altus Gym in downtown Pittsburgh. “You’re like, eh, gyms are closed.”

When the state collapsed, Rossmiller closed the public, started virtual training, and stopped accepting new members. However, he did allow existing members to use the facility.

“That’s exactly what you have to do to survive,” he said.

Corey Pistininzi and Sean Watson, the co-owners of BotL – a recently opened bar and restaurant in New Kensington – were well on their way to seeing their biggest month in existence.

“Things grew quickly. We got thrown down a bit and then it really tore our feet off, ”said Pistininzi.

Instead of counting their earnings, they lose the number of their losses, thousands of dollars in inventory alone.

And those supply orders are re-placed before Monday for the new business just trying to move forward.

“This whole year and this whole thing has been about getting permission to go ahead with a very large investment. We are ready to leave it all behind and move forward, ”said Watson.

Business owners say that while they plan to reopen, they also make contingency plans in case they need to close again.