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Central Florida restaurants prepare for possible Valentine’s Day crowds

ORLANDO, Fla. — Valentine’s Day weekend is big for a lot of restaurants.

Love is in the air, but so is the coronavirus.

Local restaurants may see their biggest crowds on Sunday since the pandemic started.

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Some restaurant owners said the demand is so high, they could have a packed house.

Channel 9 reporter Deanna Allbrittin spoke with some local restaurant owners who said they’re just not comfortable with those big crowds yet and will stay at around 50% to 60% capacity for indoor dining.

Read: 5 Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day in a Pandemic

Restaurants have made changes over the past several months, including hand sanitizer and wipes, masked employees and plexiglass dividers.

A lot of businesses are also anticipating lots of takeout orders on Valentine’s Day.

Read: COVID-19 vaccination appointments available, Osceola County Fair begins & more: 9 things happening next week

That higher volume for pickup is something most restaurants expect to stick around until more people are vaccinated.

See the full report in the video above.