Hurting Garwood Family Business Takes Another Blow With New Rules

GARWOOD, NJ — Sisters Dawn Perry and Doreen Keane, who run Garwood Lanes, are taking another blow as Gov. Phil Murphy issues new coronavirus restrictions.

"It's gonna hurt us again," Keane said.

Garwood Lanes, at 346 North Ave., has been in the family for more than 30 years. The sisters were forced to close when the pandemic hit in March and only recently reopened on Sept. 4.

Now Murphy announced, Monday, that bars and restaurants must close all indoor service by 10 p.m. and there will be no more barside seating as of Thursday. Outdoor dining, takeout and delivery services may continue beyond 10 p.m., and enclosed, heated outdoor tents can be put up outside. Read More: Gov. Murphy: NJ COVID-19 Numbers Going In 'Wrong Direction'

Food and alcohol sales are a big component of keeping the bowling lane open. But with the limited hours it will hurt Garwood Lanes.

"It's going to kill our nighttime on the weekends when we just starting to get bowlers back," Keane said.

Additionally, Keane said they will also lose out during the week when league bowlers play.

"Leagues finish playing at about 10 p.m., so when bowlers are finished they want to get something to eat or drink. Now we will have to stop serving drinks and food right when they finish," Keane said.

Garwood Lanes does offer take-out but Keane is not sure it will be enough.

"This is not helping us, especially when we just started to get business back," Keane said. "This will hurt it again."

Gene Jannotti, CEO of the Greater Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce which includes Garwood, also expressed his displeasure in Murphy's latest restrictions.

"In my opinion, the restaurant industry is taking the brunt of the impact of this announcement with those restaurants that serve alcohol being most affected," Jannotti said.

Murphy announced Tuesday that New Jersey hit its highest daily case total since April – 3,877 – and the state's highest death toll since July: 21. Read more: Gov. Murphy Vetoes Coronavirus Bill, Signs 7 Others Into NJ Law

As of Monday, Mayor Sara Todisco said the borough has reported almost 1 case per day for the past 2 weeks. The borough now has a new cumulative total of 73 positive cases and 2 deaths.

"I will not sugarcoat this — this is a bad trend and one we need to put a stop to," Todisco said. "Please take this seriously - continue to social distance, wash hands frequently, and wear masks as appropriate."

Countywide, there have been 22,584 cases of the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic. There have also been 1,215 confirmed deaths and 168 probable deaths.

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here. Don't miss local and statewide announcements. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.