PALMYRA, Pa. (NewsNation Now) — A Pennsylvania restaurant was set to defy recent restrictions on indoor dining, but a generous donation made them change course.

A loyal customer and friend of Babe’s Grill House owner, David Deimler, gifted the restaurant enough to cover three weeks of salaries for all 18 employees.

“I was staying open to take care of my employees, to make sure they would have a Christmas,” Deimler said. “To some people that wasn’t important, to some it was. For me, it was very important because they take care of my family.”

An indoor dining ban went into effect on Saturday in Pennsylvania as a part of COVID-19 restrictions. Babe’s Grill House has outdoor dining space, but the profits are not enough to support for the entire staff.

The customer gifted the money to take care of the employees this holiday season and prevent Deimler from facing fines or citations over continuing indoor dining.

“I’m very thankful for them because it has renewed my faith in life a little bit,” Deimler said.

The restaurant will be paying it forward by creating a fund from their tips and gratuities to create meals for teachers and first responders.