The New World Of Going Out For Food & Drinks
Slowly – very slowly – San Diego is trying to return to normal.
Of course, there is a new normal, so things are very much different now than they were before the coronavirus pandemic, but with the county having been granted Phase 2 status by the state, restaurants opened up again on Thursday.
A late afternoon (Happy Hour time) stroll through the Gaslamp Quarter demonstrated that some people could not wait to get back out, tho the area was hardly buzzing with activity. A couple of small groups sat together at a table at some Fifth Ave., restaurants, while at the beach towns, bar owners and staff have been preparing for this day for the past two weeks.
The re-openings allow for restaurants to serve on-premises food and drinks, tho with restrictions. Tables must be six feet apart, patrons and staff must wear masks and bar stools are spaced out to keep in line with social distancing regulations.
It is unclear to PubClub.com if the re-opening provision allows for bars to reopen, whether or not a place has to be a designated restaurant. Nightclubs and places and events that attract large groups of people are not allowed to open at this time.
Earlier this week, the California ABC allowed restaurants (and bars?) to provide service outside their normal areas, putting out tables on sidewalks and adjacent parking lots, as well as blocked-off streets if one liberally reads the rules. That enables them to expand beyond their normal capacity, a move that could save them, considering they are only allowed 50% of capacity in their normal configuration due to social distancing protocal.
Things will no doubt pick up on Memorial Day Weekend, so this social distancing re-opening will be put to the test for restaurant staff as well as customers.
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