ROYERSFORD, PA — As restaurants have struggled amid COVID-19 restrictions, an eatery in Royersford stayed open. Lakeview Café in Royersford is bucking the trend with its recent expansion.

"We opened Lakeview Café in early 2018 and after just a couple of years we were really starting to turn a corner and make a profit," said proprietor Pren Kqira. "Then the pandemic hit and of course things changed drastically."

He knew the takeout aspect of the business wasn't enough to sustain him and his 12 employees, and outdoor dining wasn't an option during the cold winter months. So, after some meetings with his landlord, he was able to strike a deal to expand the restaurant into space next door and double the capacity of the restaurant while still maintaining social distancing and occupancy standards set by the state government.

"We had a strong following by early 2020 and then the pandemic hit, and I knew we had to switch gears if we were going to survive," Kqira explained.

The Lakeview Café sits on the former site of the Lakeview Amusement Park at 329 N. 10th Ave. in Royersford.

"With COVID-19 restrictions only allowing for 50 percent capacity, last summer we had a large outside seating area and during the pandemic, customers were very comfortable sitting outside. When winter set in, we had to start thinking outside the box. We got lucky that the space was available and the landlord was willing to work with us."

The expansion has allowed the café to accommodate its normal amount of about 65 diners.

Kqira, 55, moved to the United States from Albania when he was five years old. He has been working in the restaurant business since he was 10 when his family opened a deli in King of Prussia in the early 1980s.

For more information about Lakeview Café visit https://lakeviewcaferoyersford...