10 RI Bars, Restaurants Cited For Coronavirus Violations

Rachel Nunes
Updated ·2 min read

PROVIDENCE, RI — Ten Rhode Island restaurants and bars were issued coronavirus compliance orders this week by the state Department of Health.

Three of the establishments are in Providence, one is in Narragansett and one is in Coventry.

Earlier this month, Gov. Gina Raimondo said the department would begin cracking down on businesses that "blatantly disregarded" regulations about crowd sizes, mask-wearing and other safety measures. Following repeated issues at restaurants and bars, Raimondo said last week that more inspections would be conducted, and bars could see further closures and regulations if noncompliance continued.

According to the Department of Health, inspectors frequently saw a lack of masks on both employees and patrons, a lack of social distancing, and businesses not screening customers for COVID-19 symptoms. Bars, in particular, had issues with seating and separation, with customers not properly distanced at the bar or employees serving from behind the bar, without the proper barrier in place.

"There are restaurants throughout Rhode Island that are doing a great job welcoming and serving customers in a way that is healthy and safe," said Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, director of the health department. "The few that are not are hurting the entire industry, jeopardizing the safety of their customers, and setting Rhode Island back in our work to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As residents, business owners and a state, we need to be more vigilant now than ever."

Depending on the severity of the violation, a business can be issued either a compliance order, which allows it to stay open with another inspection conducted within 10 days, or an immediate compliance order, which requires the business to close because the violations "represent an imminent threat to public health." In some cases, businesses that are generally compliant received a partial immediate compliance order, or combination order, which allows them to stay open but close the bar area until it met safety regulations.

The businesses are listed below. More orders could be forthcoming, the department said.

Compliance Orders

  • Theater Tap Bar, Pawtucket

  • Pasha Hookah Lounge and Bar, Providence

  • Boulevard Grille and Cigar Lounge, Pawtucket

Immediate Compliance Order

  • Tafino Restaurant and Lounge, Providence

Partial Immediate Compliance Orders

  • PJ's Pub, Narragansett

  • Morse Tavern, Coventry

Combination Compliance Order and Immediate Compliance Orders

  • Buffalo Wild Wings, Warwick

  • Fairlawn Golf Course, Lincoln

  • O’Rourke’s Bar and Gill, Warwick

  • Lifestyle Nutrition, Providence

All compliance orders are available on the state's Department of Business Regulation website and this is a list of the safety regulations restaurants must follow.

This article originally appeared on the Cranston Patch