How Towson Restaurants Could Reopen For Outdoor Dining
TOWSON, MD — After Gov. Larry Hogan announced restaurants statewide could offer outdoor dining effective 5 p.m. Friday, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said the county will issue its plans to move forward Thursday afternoon. Earlier this week he said the county was streamlining its application process for restaurants looking to add outdoor seating in areas that had not been allowed before.
"Baltimore County is examining the announcements made by the Governor today, consulting with experts, and will identify our next steps tomorrow afternoon," Olszewski said in a statement Wednesday night.
The governor called upon the leaders of local jurisdictions to work with businesses to reopen.
His administration was "strongly encouraging local leaders to find innovative ways to help support our restaurant businesses," Hogan said during his Wednesday news conference. "We love the idea of closing streets for outside seating in Little Italy and Fells Point in Baltimore City, on West Street and Main Street in Annapolis, on Bethesda Row and in other towns across the state."
The Towson Chamber of Commerce has proposed closing Pennsylvania Avenue to traffic Saturday and Sunday nights to help eight restaurants offer dining with social distancing, WBFF reported.
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"Allowing for the closing of streets and expanding into parking lots and public outdoor spaces can help expand the footprints allowing for safer outdoor dining, and it can help many of these struggling restaurants to survive the crisis," Hogan said.
The new order from the governor would allow restaurants and bars to serve food and drinks to customers in outdoor areas if they meet the following requirements:
Diners must sit 6 feet away from each other, unless they are members of the same household.
No more than six people may be seated at a table, unless they are members of the same household.
Restaurants and bars must clean and disinfect each table between each seating in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Maryland Department of Health, using cleaning products that meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency criteria for use against COVID-19.
No buffets are allowed.
Staff members wear face coverings when interacting with each other or patrons.
Hogan also said restaurants should offer disposable, single-use menus or sanitize reusable menus between each seating, screen staff through daily temperature checks and train staff members in current COVID-19 guidelines.
The new outdoor dining guidance applies to restaurants and bars as well as social and fraternal clubs, including American Legion posts, VFW posts and Elks Clubs.
"We are here to work in partnership to support Baltimore County’s restaurants and bars, which add to the vibrancy of our communities and are vital to our local economy," Olszewski said in a statement Tuesday, when he announced the county would work to expedite the process for allowing restaurants to expand their outdoor dining options in advance of the state's reopening. "We’re taking action now to help ensure these small businesses can reopen as fast and as safely as possible."
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This article originally appeared on the Towson Patch
