Panico’s Neighborhood Grill in Lansdale Borough has announced that they will defy the temporary restriction on alcohol sales and instead remain open on Thanksgiving Eve.
The announcement, which came by way of a post to Facebook on Tuesday morning, reads in full:
“2020 has been a challenging time in our industry for sure! I’ve seen some of my favorite places close, I’ve seen some of them adapt to unfair mandates only for those mandates to change weekly. With this recent change in the mandates, the governor decided to take away the busiest day of the year from us. It is completely unacceptable to target one industry and blame them for a pandemic that you have done nothing to solve. That being said we will be OPEN this Wednesday and everyday, with normal business hours. Noon until 2AM. Open your business to 100%”
Should Panico’s follow through with the plan, they would be violating multiple orders issued by Governor Tom Wolf and Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, including limits on occupancy, hours of operation and the sale of alcohol for on-site consumption from 5 p.m. on Nov. 25 through 8 a.m. on Nov. 26.
“We feel this is an attack on our industry,” said Rob Panico, who authored the Facebook post, in an interview with North Penn Now. “It seems like all of these mandates are targeted towards the restaurant and bar industry, and nothing else. I haven’t heard the governor talk about closing all of the big-box stores on Black Friday, because people will be shopping like they normally do. He also hasn’t shown any scientific data that closing from Wednesday night to Thursday morning will help flatten the curve. He hasn’t met with any of the industry experts to discuss plans going forward.”
Panico was unapologetic in his defiance of the state’s pandemic restrictions, and said remaining open allows his customers to use their right to choose. In fact, this will not be a one-night violation of the occupancy or hours of operations orders; Panico said after an additional set of restrictions was levied against bars and restaurants in September, he made the decision to revert to 100% occupancy and a 2 a.m. closures, which they have maintained since that time.
“We’ve received an extreme amount of support, and we’ve been very busy,” said Panico. “People have been coming in and showing their support, showing that they want to go out, showing that this is what they want…and that’s what we’re providing.”
But that support has not come without consequences, as Panico’s defiance has drawn the ire of the Montgomery County Department of Health.
“They come in, tell you that you’re going to lose your license,” said Panico, claiming that health department personnel have attempted to intimidate him into submission. “But they are not following the law. They are doing whatever they want.”
Panico said he had no concerns about losing his license, and said he wasn’t phased by threats from the health department. Though he takes issue with occupancy, hours and sales restrictions, Panico added that he does encourage guests to wear masks, social distance and utilize various sanitizing stations throughout the bar and restaurant.
One big issue with this week’s added restrictions — as well as many of the restrictions in general — is that enforcement is difficult, if not impossible. Governor Tom Wolf has encouraged municipalities to work with their local health departments on enforcement, but actual actions have been few and far between across the state.
When asked for comment regarding Panico’s defiance of the orders and restrictions, Lansdale Borough Police Chief Michael Trail urged compliance, but stopped short of threatening any enforcement action.
“Lansdale Police are working to support the COVID-19 health restrictions and ask all businesses to comply,“ said Trail. “While we understand the hardship this will be for already-struggling businesses, we also need to support the health and welfare of all residents. Please enjoy this holiday responsibly and in a manner that protects everything.”
A call to the Montgomery County Office of Public Health went unanswered on Tuesday morning, but their comments will be added to this article once received.
As of Monday, Montgomery County had reported a total of 18,832 cases and 862 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. New cases and hospitalizations have surged exponentially over the past six weeks, and officials have stated that those figures are expected to increase over the next month — as many people join their families for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
For Panico, however, Wednesday night will be like any other in recent memory.
“Honestly, the same crowd that will be here Wednesday night will be the same crowd that is here on Thursday night, Friday night and so on,” said Panico. “It’s the same crowd every time, and they’ve been extremely supportive.”
See also:
Pennsylvania To Shutdown On-Premise Alcohol Consumption On Thanksgiving Eve
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