Bars and restaurants on the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk reopened Monday as the state enters Phase 2 of its COVID-19 reopening plan.

The establishments have been closed since mid-March as the state tried to slow the spread of the virus. Customers say that they are happy to be out once again.

"I haven’t been out of my house since March. This is my first day back and it’s super exciting,” says Madeline Coppede.

Others said that they were happy to have a change of scenery after being confined to just their backyards.

Jenkinson’s also reopened its expansive outdoor dining areas on Monday.

“It’s wonderful to have this option. We’ve been doing well with the takeout, but everyone wants to sit and relax and enjoy and now you can do so,” says Jenkinson’s spokeswoman Toby Wolf.

A few blocks away, pubs like The Ark are trying out new, temporary outdoor seating areas.

“It’s going to be exciting. I can’t wait for [Monday night] to open up and see when they come in,” says bartender Stephen Doggart.

Mayor Paul Kanitra says that many businesses in town make most of their money during the summer months.

“We all know we make the majority of our money in July and August, so this is crucial coming into the summer and they’ve got to have these tables and chairs filled just about every single night to make sure they’re making up for what they lost…over the past couple of months,” he says.

Kanitra and other mayors are asking Gov. Phil Murphy to issue guidance on indoor dining, but no timeline has been set for when that can return.