Restaurants face prospect of off-premises service only
As the country is being impacted by the Coronavirus Disease, governors in states across the U.S. are taking action to limit the spread of COVID-19. Many have ordered or requested restaurants stop dine-in service. As of March 15, states including Ohio, Illinois, and Maryland had done so. In addition, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. had ordered restaurants closed in those cities.
Restaurants continue to adapt to these changes, offering takeout and delivery. Emilie’s a fine-dining restaurant in Washington, D.C. started promoting its takeout menu March 16, while Gravitas, another fine-dining destination, stopped dining service and announced an upcoming takeout program. Here’s a list of states that have closed restaurant dine-in service as of March 16 (Axios):
- California closed bars, nightclubs and wineries (not restaurants)
- Connecticut (issued stay-at-home order March 20, but it excludes foodservice operations)
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota (issued March 17, effective 5 p.m.)
- Nevada – (stay-at-home order March 17 requires restaurants close unless they offer delivery, curbside pickup or takeout)
- New Jersey (stay at home order March 20 requires restaurants to be open for takeout and delivery only)
- New York (issued March 17)
- North Carolina (issued March 17)
- Pennsylvania
- Texas (issued March 20)
Several cities have also closed restaurants for dine-in service. Los Angeles and Washington, D.C are two such cities. Other cities, including New York, have reduced capacity.
This article will be updated regularly. It was last updated March 21, 2020.
Photo credit: Dmitriy Frantsev (featured preview image)
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