AUSTIN (KXAN) — A downtown community staple reopened this week after the COVID-19 pandemic forced its doors closed in 2020.

Caritas of Austin opened the Dining Hall for the first time in three years on Thursday.

The community kitchen, which is located at 611 Neches St., has been open since 1964 but had to switch to to-go only during the pandemic.

“We are reopening the dining room because we believe it’s important for people to have the opportunity to come inside, take a break from the weather,” Jo Kathryn Quinn, president and CEO of Caritas Austin, said.

The kitchen serves between 250 and 300 meals per day. The dining hall will be open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon.