Winter Park closing Park Ave. to allow restaurants to expand dining for Mother's Day

A normally busy Winter Park road is closing down to make room for local businesses for the Mother's Day weekend.

Park Avenue will be closed to traffic. The closures are meant to help businesses in the area to expand their seating in a place we normally walk down. In Winter Park, it's helping local restaurants so they can put more tables for seating outside to help bring in the customers and still abiding by social distancing.

Pannullo's restaurant says they've been doing well since Monday's limited reopening, especially with outdoor seating.

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"We're open and business outside right now. And we have many reservations, and it's wonderful," the restaurant told FOX 35 News.

They expect to be busy for Mother's Day celebrations.

"We anticipate being at 90% literally on Sunday for Mother's Day."

It's all been made possible by the governor's Phase 1 of reopening the state, but there are still some restrictions that businesses must follow.
Capacity must be limited to 25% capacity and any dining tables must be at least 6-feet apart.

People on Park Avenue look forward to seeing more life on the streets of Winter Park again.

"It's much more hopeful that we see that maybe there's light at the end of this long tunnel."

Traffic on Park Avenue will be blocked off starting Friday through Sunday so that more families and folks can come out to celebrate the Mother's Day weekend.