HAMILTON, Ohio—As Governor DeWine announced today, restaurants with outdoor seating will open next Friday and indoor dining spaces will open May 21st. In Hamilton, restaurant owners say they are ready to open for sit-down dining again.

• Hamilton's first-ever restaurant week continues this week and ends Friday
• Many restaurants have seen an increase in carry-out orders, but say they are ready to start serving their customers in their dining rooms
• The Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce says many of its small businesses have a plan for how to reopen safely.

It’s the first-ever restaurant week in Hamilton and the chamber says it’s interesting timing for it. But restaurants like Neal’s Famous BBQ are seeing a lot of business.

At Neal’s Famous BBQ, Michael Neal and his staff carefully curate each to-go order for their customers. 

“I love my city," Neal said. "Small city with a big heart. And what a wonderful place to do business in your own home town.”

And the first restaurant week for the historic town brought in some extra business.

“Who else but Hamilton is crazy enough to do a restaurant week, when everything is shut down?” Dan Bates the President and CEO of the Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce said.

“Just your neighbors coming in to support to make sure we all stand," Neal said. "It’s been a little busy.”

Neal says they had over 400 boxed lunch orders over just two days- a substantial increase in take-out orders. But, their dining room remains empty.

“This truly has been a change," Neal said. "The increase is not as healthy as if it would have been a dine-in. But, we’re not complaining.”

But as announcements came that dine-in options and salons will open next week, restaurants and the beauty industry are anxious to open. The Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce surveyed their small businesses last week and found that the overwhelming majority of them had a plan in place to open safely.

“Even the smallest of the businesses have really thought this through," Bates said. "So kudos to them. They need business, but they want people to be safe too.”

And at Neal’s, they’re working through that- trying to figure out how best to social distance in their small space.

“The social distancing and things of that nature will still be a huge change and it’s something we will all have to adapt to and wondering how it’s going to work," Neal said.

Neal says they’re anxious to get back open and have families back in their dining rooms. But they will do everything they can to keep their employees and customers safe.