When N.J. reopens outdoor dining, here are the rules restaurants and bars must follow
The state will also allow any establishment with a liquor license to apply for a one-time, special permit to serve alcohol outside.
And local authorities will decide whether eateries and bars that don’t already have outdoor space can get “creative” and use parking lots, sidewalks, streets, and other areas for seating.
Gov. Phil Murphy outlined those restrictions and guidelines Wednesday as he formally signed an executive order to permit outdoor dining at eateries in the Garden State as the state prepares to begin Stage 2 of its plan to gradually reopen the economy during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Under restrictions outlined by the state Department of Health, restaurants offering outdoor dining must also:
- Prohibit patrons from entering indoor sections except to walk through when entering or exiting or to use the restroom.
- Require customers to wear face coverings only when inside the building, unless there is a medical reason for not doing so or if the patron is under 2 years.
- Require employees to wash hands when entering.
- Require employees to wear face coverings, unless it would inhibit their health, and to wear gloves when in contact with customers and when handing food, utensils, and other items.
- Eliminate self-serve food and drink options like buffets, salad bars, and drink stations.
- Prohibit smoking in areas where people are drinking and eating.
- Disinfect tables, chairs, and other shared items.
- Frequently sanitize high-touch areas, like credit-card machines.
- Encourage reservations to help control customer volume.
- Recommend customers wait in their cars or away from the establishment while waiting for a table if outdoor wait areas do not allow for proper social distancing.
- Encourage the use of digital menus.
- Rope off tables and chairs that can’t be used.
- Provide tape, signs, and other guides on floors, sidewalks, and walls to make sure patrons stay six feet apart while going to the restroom or waiting for a table.
- Install physical barriers, partitions at cash registers, bars, and host stands.
- Provide hand sanitizer for customers.
- Conduct daily health checks of workers.
- Require employees with symptoms of COVID-19 to be sent home.
- Provide all workers with face coverings, gloves, and sanitation materials.
- Provide workers with break times for repeated handwashing throughout the day.
- Require customers provide a phone number if making a reservation in case of the need for contact tracing.
The state will also allow any establishment with a liquor license to apply for a one-time, special permit to serve alcohol outside.
And local authorities will decide whether eateries and bars that don’t already have outdoor space can get “creative” and use parking lots, sidewalks, streets, and other areas for seating.
Gov. Phil Murphy outlined those restrictions and guidelines Wednesday as he formally signed an executive order to permit outdoor dining at eateries in the Garden State as the state prepares to begin Stage 2 of its plan to gradually reopen the economy during the coronavirus pandemic.
