Student Corner: Seats on the Street: Changes to Outdoor Dining in the Time of COVID-19

<p>With Governor Cooper’s announcement of Phase II reopening on May 22nd, restaurants are allowed to seat customers for the first time since March 17th. Many communities are breathing a sigh of relief; downtowns have suffered dramatically from the loss of business due to COVID-19, and the reopening of restaurants is hoped to bring more foot traffic and inject much-needed revenue. However, this is not a return to the pre-COVID dinner rush: restaurants are limited to seating no more than 50% of their capacity within their dining areas and must comply with all DHHS guidelines around social distancing. This poses a dilemma for many businesses: if you need a full staff to offer dine-in services, but can only serve 50% of your volume, can you justify reopening? Restaurant owners across the state and across the country are wrestling with this decision, and for many, 50% capacity simply won’t cut it. In order to offer a full range of dine-in services, they need to be able to serve more guests. To serve more guests and comply with social distancing, they need more dining space. Which brings us to the essential question: where can local restaurants get more space?</p> <p>The answer, according to many local governments, is simple: sit outside! Allowing restaurants to expand their outdoor dining areas allows them to serve a greater portion of their capacity while still meeting social distancing guidelines. Local governments across North Carolina are in the process of implementing temporary changes that will allow restaurants to expand their operations into their [...]</p>