Photo: Facebook

A favourite Vernon restaurant has temporarily closed its doors for sit-down dining.

"It was a very heartbreaking decision, but we have decided to close our family-owned and operated restaurant for in-person dining ... This is only temporarily. We do not know at this time when we will be reopening and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause," management at Intermezzo Restaurant posted on their Facebook page.

"Since June 10, when we reopened our doors, we have implemented a strict and thorough safety plan. We have followed every guideline that has been recommended by our health authority. However, cases continue to rise in the Vernon area. Through consultation with medical professionals, we have also further understood that carriers of the virus are often pre- or asymptomatic."

The restaurant says the decision to close was made as a result of the increase in community transmission "and our desire to protect our family members, our guests, and our staff who we consider to all be a part of Intermezzos family."

However, Intermezzo remains open for take-out and offers delivery service with local start-up Driver Dispatcher.

"Though it isn’t the same as the full Intermezzo service, we hope you will be pleasantly surprised by how delicious our food can be at home," management said.

"We want to thank you again for your ongoing support and understanding. We look forward to seeing you when we reopen for dine-in. We will get through this."