Tanglewood Center's food and entertainment director George Shroth said he's had to increase production of the center's pork chop and chicken dinners because of increased sales, mostly takeout. The number of guests choosing to dine in the center in Lyndora has increased since January.

LYNDORA — Recent changes, both in the weather and in COVID-19 precautions, has had an effect on George Schroth, the food and entertainment director of the Tanglewood Center at 10 Austin Ave.

The warming weather has increased the number of people turning out for the center's Wednesday pork chop and chicken dinners, Schroth said.

And the revamped pandemic precautions and increasing numbers of people being vaccinated has led the center to schedule its first dinner/dance event in nearly a year.

Schroth said the most recent pork chop dinner brought 550 customers, 80% of whom chose the takeout option.

But, he said, some did chose to dine in.

“People feel more comfortable because of our efforts to social distance,” said Schroth.

In fact, so many people bought dinners last week, Schroth said, “I've had to rework my production. I have to increase my production to handle the popularity of the meals.”

He said he's been looking at purchasing an additional cooler for the center's kitchen, so he can prepare more dinners ahead of time to meet the demand.

Tanglewood had suspended its dinners during the COVID-19 pandemic last year, but resumed them as takeout-only events in July.“We are planning to increase the dinners to 600,” said Charlie Roche, manager at Tanglewood. “Attendance has been going up since the beginning of the year.”That demand, said Bill Reichert, consultant to the Tanglewood board, is driven by “people getting vaccinated, the rules being relaxed a little. People are starting to come out. I call it COVID-19 cabin fever.”Schroth said the recent spate of warm weather has contributed to the dinner's popularity.“A lot of people are turning up. You have to remember for people 50-plus, ice is deadly,” he said.People were lining up by 2 p.m. for the March 3 dinner, which usually runs from 3 to 6 p.m.And, Roche said, some people, about 80, chose to dine in the center last week. He attributed that to more people being vaccinated against COVID-19.That's led Tanglewood to schedule its first dinner/dance event in more than a year.Planned for April 10, the “Little Bit Country & Lot of Rock & Roll” event will feature a “chuck-wagon” buffet that includes ribs and chicken, a 50/50 raffle, door prizes, a disc jockey and socially distanced dancing. Tickets are limited to 100 people.Doors will open at 6 p.m., the buffet will begin at 7 p.m. and dancing will follow at 8 p.m.“It's a comeback show,” Reichert said. “People have cabin fever, and we feel confident we can come out with a socially-distanced event.”Roche said dinner/dance events before the pandemic would regularly draw up to 300 people, but he didn't foresee the number of tickets increasing any time in the near future.Bingo games on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights also resumed in January, with attendance limited to 100 people.“Tanglewood has withstood COVID,” he said. “We are alive and well and an asset to the community. People are feeling comfortable coming out and engaging socially again.”Still, he said, COVID-19 is still making its presence felt. Reservations for weddings and bridal showers are still down.And for the second year, the annual GFWC Intermediate League of Butler's antique show, one of the largest in the county, has been canceled.