As some restaurants are shutting their doors for good during the pandemic, others are opening and thriving.

On Kings Highway in Haddonfield, outdoor diners flood the sidewalks. But not all restaurants are surviving off outdoor dining and takeout. Villa Rosa is one of them. The pizzeria announced on Facebook that the long-lasting effects of COVID-19 are forcing them to close.

As the summer winds down and cooler temperatures arrive, Haddonfield Mayor Neal Rochford says that he is concerned that more restaurants in the town may close if indoor dining is still banned.

“I’m very concerned about that, because otherwise they can’t make it on just takeout,” he says.

But while some restaurants are closing, new ones are getting ready to open. Sahar Soleymani is getting to open her second restaurant, Dar’s Steaks.

“I’m both nervous and excited. I feel more excited than anything. I’m trying to keep the risk factors out of my head,” she says.”

The cheesesteak spot will be different from Soleymani’s Venezuelan restaurant just down the street in Haddon Township. But she says that if there is anything that she has learned during the pandemic, it’s creative marketing and a business model that fits the current situation.

“We’re going to focus on mostly takeout. We’re not even going to put any tables inside to start for now. Maybe just a few out front on the sidewalk. So, as far as restaurants go, I feel like opening a takeout restaurant is the way to go. I’m hoping we have some success there,” Soleymani says.

Mayor Rochford says that the borough has approved the use of heaters for restaurants as they move into the cooler months.