Reopening PA's Restaurants

GENERAL INFORMATION
On May 27, Gov. Wolf released guidelines for reopening Pennsylvania's restaurants and announced that restaurants in yellow counties may offer outdoor dining. On July 15, Gov. Wolf walked-back the guidelines for the restaurant industry. 

Guidance Documents

• On July 15, the Wolf Administration announced new mitigation guidelines that target the restaurant industry and updated the Restaurant Industry Specific Guidance to reflect those changes. Key Changes:
  • Prohibition from conducting operations unless the facility offers sit-down, dine-in meals or is serving take-out sales of alcoholic beverages. All service must be at a table or booth; bar service is prohibited.
  • Occupancy is limited to 25 percent of stated fire-code maximum occupancy for indoor dining, and indoor events/gatherings may not exceed 25 persons. The maximum occupancy limit includes staff.
  • Alcohol only can be served for on-premises consumption when in the same transaction as a meal.
  • Take-out sales of alcohol for the purposes of off-site consumption are permitted subject to any limitations or restrictions imposed by Pennsylvania law.
  • Non-bar seating in outdoor areas (i.e. tables or counter seats that do not line up to a bar or food service area) may be used for customer seating.
  • Social distancing, masking, and other mitigation measures must be employed to protect workers and patrons.
  • The Pa. Department of Health released an FAQ document on these new guidelines on July 20. 
  • PLCB Guidance on the July 15 order is expected to be released by Wednesday, July 22.
• PLCB Guidance for Licensees in Green & Yellow Counties (7/22/2020) | VIEW
• PLCB Guidance for Licensees in Green Counties (5/29/2020) | VIEW
• PLCB Advisory Notice on Temporary Extended Premise (6/3/2020) | VIEW 
• Wolf Administration Process to Reopening Pennsylvania | VIEW
• Wolf Administration FAQs for Businesses Operating During the COVID-19 Disaster Emergency |  VIEW
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Decision Tree for Restaurants & Bars | VIEW
• Pennsylvania General Business Operational Guidance | VIEW
  • NOTE: Businesses must download, print, sign, and hang the "COVID-19 Safety Procedures for Businesses" flyer (You only need to print and display one version.)
• Pennsylvania Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement Dashboard | VIEW
• Philadelphia Outdoor Dining Guidelines (issued 6/11/2020) | VIEW
  • Philadelphia Temporary Outdoor Dining Instructions | VIEW
  • Philadelphia Temporary Outdoor Dining Application | VIEW
• Philadelphia Guidelines for Indoor Dining (issued 6/25/2020) | DOWNLOAD
  • PLEASE NOTE: There are some significant differences between the Philadelphia guidance and the state guidelines so please read the City's guidelines thoroughly.
• Philadelphia official issued mask wearing requirements on June 26, 2020 | READ MORE
• Allegheny County rescinded the July 8 order to bring the county into alignment with the state's July 15 order. (issued 7/17/2020) |  VIEW ORDER
  • While the new order mostly aligns with the state's July 15 order, there are a few notable differences:
    • Indoor and outdoor dining service must cease at 11 p.m. in Allegheny County.
    • Cigarettes/e-cigarettes are prohibited in indoor and outdoor dining areas in Allegheny County.
    • Outdoor events in Allegheny County are capped at 50 individuals. 
• Allegheny County shuts down dine-in services for one week, starting July 3, 2020 (issued 7/2/2020) | VIEW ORDER
• Allegheny County bans on-premise consumption of alcohol (issued 6/28/2020) | DOWNLOAD ORDER

Best Practices

• US Foods Reopening Blueprint | DOWNLOAD
• 6 Great Ways to Social Distance Your Restaurant | READ
• How to Get your Guests to Order from your Restaurant Instead of a Delivery App | READ
• Design Strategies for Restaurants Reopening During the Pandemic  |  READ
• Ready Restaurants to Reopen with this Kitchen Checklist | READ​

Reopening Restaurants FAQs

What do I have to do if one of my employees tests positive for COVID-19?
The guidance you need to follow can be found here. Scroll to the "Handling Cases of COVID-19" section for the details.

What does it mean that the Pa. Legislature passed a resolution ending the Governor's Emergency Disaster Declaration?
At this time, nothing has changed. Businesses should continue following the guidance provided for the yellow and green phases of reopening and enforcement will continue for those who violate the orders of the Governor or Secretary of Health. The issue will likely go to the Pa. Supreme Court. However, Gov. Wolf outlined the consequences of ending the declaration.  Importantly, ending the disaster declaration would not end any orders issued by the Secretary of Health that set guidelines for business operations. PRESS RELEASE
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Once my county moves to indoor dining, does outdoor dining go away? 
No.