ROCHESTER — It was one year ago this week that the coronavirus arrived in Monroe County. 

The months ahead would prove devastating for some and challenging for everyone. Such was the case for restaurants that were forced to close their doors and go dark. But now, things are taking another step towards returning to normal.

On Park Avenue, Roam Cafe is one of the first restaurants Spectrum News spoke with when Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered establishments to close last year.

The owners of Roam Cafe say the community's support is what got them through this year of uncertainty. And they recognize that they're one of the lucky ones.

After closing last March, a lot of restaurants like Roam had to depend on takeout and delivery.

Co-owner Maurice Kusminsky says they were surprised to have enough people ordering takeout that they were able to keep their core staff.

Things got better in the summer with outdoor seating being allowed.

Kusminsky says the city and state grants helped a lot too. But he says everyone was anticipating it to get tough again in the fall. And it did as COVID-19 cases soared and more capacity limits were enforced.

Rochester was also deemed by Gov. Cuomo to be a microcluster orange zone, forcing restaurants to rely on takeout once again.

Kusminsky says things are getting better now and he hopes the restaurant scene in Rochester recovers.

"You never succeed on your own. It doesn't help us if other restaurants close. What helps us is having a vibrant restaurant scene so that people enjoy going out. Rochester, when it's all said and done, we're going to survive. I don't think it'll be perfect. A lot of people are closing," Kusminsky said.

Gov. Cuomo announced Monday that restaurants and bars can open up to 75% capacity starting March 19. It's a sign that things are slowly improving.