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New Jersey's restaurants can open for indoor dining beginning this Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced in a tweet Monday morning.

Movie theaters and other indoor performance venues also may reopen on Friday, Murphy said at his afternoon briefing. Each screening room is limited to 25% capacity or 150 people, whichever is less. Patrons who didn't buy tickets together must sit at least six feet apart and all must wear masks, he said.

The capacity limit for indoor dining will be 25%, according to Murphy.

Murphy closed many businesses, including restaurants and movie theaters, in mid-March in an effort to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus.  

"We are happy to hear the announcement and especially that they can open before the Labor Day weekend," Marilou Halvorsen, president of the NJ Restaurant & Hospitality Association told 70and73.com in an email response to the decision. "Our members have been extremely patient. We look forward to working with the governor and legislators moving forward to see how we can assist restaurants moving forward."

Philadelphia's indoor dining begins September 8, with restaurants limited to 25% capacity and only four diners at one table.

Since outdoor dining started in New Jersey on June 15, restaurants have found spots for tents, umbrellas and tables everywhere from sidewalks to parking lots. Some fortunate restaurants were able to open walls and have outdoor dining that otherwise would have been indoor.

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Drive on Routes 70 or 73 and outdoor dining is everywhere, with whole sections of parking lots looking like they are hosting wedding receptions under white tents. Diners have had much to get used to, such as the wait staff reciting specials through a mask and using photocopied, disposable menus. Many restaurants have chosen to also use disposable plastic silverware.

At his COVID-19 briefing, Murphy said he hopes many restaurants will continue to offer dining outside because many residents have felt safer eating outside during the pandemic.

70and73-area residents posting on social media were split on whether or not to dine indoors. Some mentioned air circulation inside restaurants. Irene Di Giulio French said in a Facebook post: "Ventilation is very important. Every building is different. You can't know if it's safe so just saying it's okay as a blanket statement is too much risk."

"I was just in NY (Catskills) where they were allowed to have reduced capacity indoor dining and bar seating. I personally am not ready for indoor dining, especially after seeing it firsthand. Not judging anyone who wants to go ahead with it but it’s just not for me / my family," Eliza Ricci Babcock of Cherry Hill wrote on the What's Up in Cherry Hill Facebook page.

"I'm not feeling good about indoor dining at all these days. The fact that too many people without masks while eating, drinking and talking in recirculated indoor air systems is my biggest reason," posted Johnna DiSanto of Cherry Hill on the same page.

"We love eating out and did it regularly pre-COVID but we will not be setting foot inside a restaurant any time soon (Cherry Hill). Outdoor dining is fine if the place has a good set up. We've only been to one place where we felt uncomfortable. The others were fine," wrote physician Steven Gitler.

But Ginny Gibson Hammer, also of Cherry Hill, noted: "If social distancing and other precautions are maintained I would."

"I'm okay with it at limited capacity and proper spacing and precautions. We were recently in a state where it was allowed and felt comfortable with everything in place," stated Donna Gilles.

Indoor dining was to begin in New Jersey on Thursday, July 2, but Murphy — concerned about the spread of COVID-19 — pulled the plug the Monday before.

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"We must hit pause on the resumption of indoor dining," a sullen Murphy announced at the time. "Given the current situation in numerous other states, as I mentioned, we do not believe that it is prudent to push forward which is in effect a sedentary indoor activity."

The last-minute decision brought outrage from the industry, with some restaurants saying they had to dispose of food they had stocked up on in anticipation of the indoor opening.

"Today’s decision by Governor Murphy to heed the strong call to reopen indoor dining with limited capacity before the holiday weekend is appreciated, but unfortunately long overdue," New Jersey Business & Industry Association President and CEO Michele Siekerka said in a statement after the announcement. "For restaurants in our shore and urban areas, and those eateries that are not able to accommodate outdoor dining, this unnecessary loss of their peak season will be more damaging, as many rely on that business to survive for the year."

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