The Hospitality Reopening Roadmap to Success
When we look back on this Covid age of wonder, we will hopefully compliment ourselves on adapting to quickly changing environments, taking care of our communities, and coming together to stave off pandemic and economic collapse. But for now, it sure feels like not nobody knows what’s going on and this is all harder than it should be, amiright?
This post is for you, dear hospitality business owner, who just wants to know how to reopen your restaurant, bar or tasting room, since traveling on the resilience road map can be a bumpy road. Here’s my attempt at a key to the State’s road map. Bon Voyage!
How to Use this: For general important links to visit to determine the latest phase information and county-specific requirements, see the immediately following “Latest Information,” then scroll down to the industry category that best describes your business for specific details (listed in order of reopening priority). You may want to bookmark this page; I will do my best to keep it updated and corrected (Last Updated: 7/15/20).
How to Find the Latest Information:
1. Start with the California Covid-19 website and CA Department of Public Health Covid-19 website and review the Latest Guidance. Check the County Data Monitoring site to see if your county is on the monitoring list and has variances.
2. Next, go to the Statewide Industry Guidance (Restaurants, Bars, and Wineries) (Dine-In Restaurants) (Hotels).
3. Check the County variance info website, which provides a summary of the current monitoring, and if you scroll down, you can click on a map or select from a dropdown menu for your county of choice. Keep scrolling to the bottom of the page – this page is full of important information and is updated regularly.
4. Use the county link from the previous page map to get to your county Covid-19 website and check that website for industry-specific requirements and the latest information.
5. Go to the ABC’s Covid-19 website for the latest information (Latest: Public Health Orders Regarding licensed Premises Closures), FAQs, and Guidance by License Type.
6. Go to your industry association websites, they are all tracking the state updates and their legislative advocates are working directly with policy makers to advocate for your industry’s survival – special shout out to the Wine Institute policy team that won big for wineries, deemed both essential and safer to open, with or without meals, before bars and beer/spirits tasting rooms. (Wine Institute) (Family Winemakers) (California Craft Brewers Association) (California Artisanal Distillers Guild) (California Restaurant Association) (Independent Hospitality Coalition) (California Hotel & Lodging Association) (please suggest any organizations I’ve missed). The many regional organizations will also be great resources for county-specific information.
7. If you get stuck, call your lawyer, or that friend who is obsessed with all things Covid-19 for help.
Restaurants:
Alcohol and food to go permitted, outdoor seating and alcohol service if county qualifies and licensed premises are expanded or include outdoor space. Indoor seating currently not permitted anywhere in the State of California.
Alcohol may only be sold with a meal (see previous post on meals here).
Winery Tasting Rooms:
Alcohol and food to go permitted, outdoor seating, and alcohol service permitted if county qualifies and licensed premises are expanded or include outdoor space. Indoor seating currently not permitted anywhere in the State of California.
May serve meals to qualify as a dine-in restaurant subject to local restrictions, in which case, wine (or beer and wine if a bona fide eating place) may only be sold with a meal (which may be outsourced in certain situations). Most counties have moved to the next stage of the resilience road map and permit winery tasting rooms to serve wine without food. Counties on the state 3-day watch list must move tasting rooms outdoors, without meal service, unless required by county order. See Public Health Orders Regarding licensed Premises Closures, County variance info website, and your county page for specifics on your location.
Bars, Breweries & Distillery Tasting Rooms:
Alcohol and food to go permitted, outdoor seating and alcohol service only with meal service (which may be outsourced in certain situations) if county qualifies and licensed premises are expanded or include outdoor space. Indoor seating currently not permitted anywhere in the State of California.
Currently not permitted to open for alcohol service only, outdoors or indoors.