Bars could reopen, restaurants could serve more customers under proposed bill
Bars could reopen, and restaurants and brewpubs could seat additional customers outside if a bill making its way through the North Carolina General Assembly is passed.
Two pieces of legislation sponsored by Sen. Rick Gunn, a Republican from Burlington, would allow food and drink establishments to serve more than just 50% of their capacity, as is currently required under Phase Two of Gov. Roy Cooper’s “safer at home” order.
The legislation would allow an establishment to seat 50% of its capacity, or 100 customers — whichever is less — outside, in addition to the 50% of its capacity already allowed inside.
Though bars have not been green-lighted to reopen under Cooper’s orders, they would be able to do so if the bill is passed and signed into law.
In mid-March, Cooper shuttered restaurants and bars in an attempt to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The first piece of legislation, a rewritten version of House Bill 536, applies only to restaurants and brewpubs, which were able to offer dine-in seating beginning Friday.
The other, a rewritten version of House Bill 902, applies only to breweries, wineries, bars, clubs and distilleries. With the exception of bars, all of the establishments have also been allowed to reopen.
“It’s been an amazing amount of response for House Bill 536, which will hopefully be a lifeline for restaurants as we all work through this very, very tough time,” Gunn said in a Senate committee hearing Tuesday. “You’re changing the lives of potentially 350,000-plus individuals in our state and the businesses that hire them.”
Under the proposed legislation, restaurants could seat customers on covered patios, public sidewalks and public streets, if permitted under local ordinances. All must be on the same parcel, contiguous to or in “close proximity” to the establishment.
Scott Maitland, who owns Top of the Hill restaurant, brewery and distillery in Chapel Hill, testified in favor of the bill during a committee hearing Wednesday.
“If a restaurant is limited to only 50% capacity, it’s just a prescription for flat-out losing money,” Maitland said. “This opportunity to expand the restaurant’s capacity... It’s a fantastic idea.”
Maitland also said last week the two bills should be combined into one.
Gunn is asking that the bill be expedited.
“Every day until this is passed... we will lose a business,” Gunn said during the Wednesday committee meeting. “I don’t want to see that happen, and I know you don’t.”
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This story was originally published May 26, 2020 at 5:05 PM.