The Yankee Clipper Diner is a favorite restaurant with Beaconites both young and old. The restaurant was established in 1946, served customers back when Nobody’s Fool was filming in Beacon (starring Paul Newman, and is a scene in the movie) and is a regular eatery for locals like former Mayor Randy Casale. Since 2003, the diner has been owned and operated by two sisters and their husbands: Petros and Tonia; and Nikos and Katina. Tonia and Katina grew up in the diner business and their husbands — both from the Greek isle of Andros — run the Yankee Clipper kitchen.

When New York’s PAUSE went into effect on March 22, 2020, the Yankee Clipper tried to stay open with takeout, but on March 28, 2020, they temporarily closed the diner. They announced via Instagram: “The health and safety of our family, employees and customers is always our top priority. We are sorry for any inconvenience. We greatly appreciate all the support from our customers and the community during this hard time.” Days later they launched a GoFundMe campaign to help raise money for the staff, which has raised $3,280 to date.

On Wednesday, April 29, 2020, the Yankee Clipper opened back up, with a “Distance Makes Us Stronger” theme. They announced ordering protocols via Instagram, giving customers the ability to pay over the phone or in person, but stating that only a limited number of people were allowed in the restaurant at once, and that if you really needed to pay in person, you could do so, but needed to wait outside. Curbside service is available, where the staff brings it to your car, or you can pick it up from a table in the vestibule. Delivery to your front door is also an option.

So far in Beacon, the businesses that put forth their safety protocols before opening are seeing success with the public - with distancing incorporated. How did their opening weekend go? Keep in mind, if you’re reading this from out of town, and want to drive to Beacon to eat at restaurants in Beacon, they are doing takeout only, so you’ll need to eat the food in your car or a secluded park spot. Most who walk on Main Street are wearing masks. While not as congested as NYC, walking past people or turning the corner quickly into a group of people is common. So bring your mask!

A Little Beacon Blog checked in with the Yankee Clipper to find out how the first weekend went. Keep in mind, they are open every day:

ALBB: How have people been with social distancing?
YC: Our customers have been very good with it. Poeple have been respecting boundaries and the set-up we have in place as precautions.

ALBB: Have customers been wearing masks when picking up food?
YC: Yes, 99.9% of customers are wearing masks when picking up food.

ALBB: Are regulars so excited to order from you again? Your Instagram photos are incredible!
YC: Our regulars have been so supportive and very excited that we are open again. The support from them in our first few days open was overwhelming and we feel very blessed and fortunate to have such loyal customers.

ALBB: Has it helped your business at all to do takeout? Or is it too early to tell?
YC: Under the circumstances, takeout is working out. We have still taken quite a hit in comparison to our normal business. But we are very grateful for the takeout business we do have.

ALBB: Do you do catering or large orders?
YC: Yes, we do offer catering. On Mother’s Day, we offered family meals. We can accommodate any size order.

ALBB: In the future do you want customers in the restaurant? Or are you comfortable with monitoring things and doing takeout?
YC: Of course we would love to open up our dining room again to all of our customers. We miss the interaction with them and miss providing the service and experience of dining out. Of course when we do reopen, we will do what the state asks of us and we will take additional safety precautions to keep ourselves, our staff, and customers safe.

Find out the takeout and delivery status of other restaurants in Beacon by clicking on A Little Beacon Blog’s Restaurant Guide.