A State-by-State Guide of Restaurant Reopenings
The pandemic may not be over, however, many states have demonstrated a considerable decline in new COVID-19 cases within the past month, and many businesses were given the green light to reopen.
Many restaurants across the United States have been closed for at least two months, so the need to reopen in phases is critical in ensuring states don't experience a spike in new infections. As restrictions have slowly begun to lift in various states and large metropolitan areas, restaurants have been required by the CDC's new restaurant guidelines to only operate at 25 to 50 percent of their normal capacity indoors and outdoors and to have tables that are at least six feet apart from one another.
Several states have already reopened eateries, but there are a few that still have yet to. Below, you'll see a comprehensive guide on when dining establishments reopened in each state. Of course, some major cities (such as NYC and San Francisco) may have elected to reopen at a different date than their respective state. The only states where all restaurants have yet to reopen entirely include Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
- Alabama: Reopened 5/11/2020
- Alaska: Reopened 5/22/2020
- Arizona: Reopened 5/11/2020
- Arkansas: Reopened 5/11/2020
- California: Reopened 5/13/2020-5/29/2020
- San Francisco reopening for outdoor dining on 6/15/2020
- Colorado: Reopened 5/27/2020
- Connecticut: Reopened 5/20/2020
- Delaware: Reopened 6/1/2020
- Florida: Reopened 5/4/2020
- Georgia: Reopened 4/27/2020
- Hawaii: Reopening on 06/05/2020
- Illinois: Reopened 5/29/2020
- Indiana: Reopened 5/11/2020-5/22/2020
- Iowa: Reopened 5/1/2020
- Idaho: Reopened 5/15/2020
- Kansas: Reopened 5/4/2020
- Kentucky: Reopened 5/22/2020
- Louisiana: Reopened 5/15/2020-05/16/2020
- Maine: Reopened 5/18/2020
- Maryland: Reopened 5/29/2020
- Massachusetts: Reopens 6/8/2020
- Michigan: Reopened 5/22/2020
- Minnesota: Reopened 6/1/2020
- Mississippi: Reopened 5/4/2020
- Missouri: Reopened 5/4/2020
- Montana: Reopened 5/4/2020
- Nebraska: Reopened 5/4/2020
- Nevada: Reopened 5/9/2020
- New Hampshire: Reopened 5/18/2020
- New Jersey: Slated to reopen 6/05/2020
- New Mexico: Slated to reopen in early June
- New York: Sit-down dining slated to reopen 07/8/2020 in NYC.
- Other parts of NY opened as early as 05/15/2020
- North Carolina: Reopened 5/22/2020
- North Dakota: Reopened 5/1/2020
- Ohio: Reopened 5/15/2020 outdoor dining only
- Dine-in service began 5/21/2020
- Oklahoma: Reopened 5/1/2020
- Oregon: Reopened 5/15/2020
- Pennsylvania: Slated to reopen 06/04/2020
- Rhode Island: Reopened 5/18/2020
- South Carolina: Reopened 5/11/2020
- South Dakota: Capacity limits were never enforced.
- Tennessee: Reopened 4/27/2020-5/25/2020 (depending on the city)
- Texas: Reopened 5/1/2020
- Utah: Reopened 5/1/2020
- Vermont: Reopened for outdoor dining on 05/22/2020
- Virginia: Reopened for outdoor seating on 5/15/2020
- Washington: 22 of 39 counties reopened 5/12/2020
- West Virginia: Reopened 5/21/2020
- Wisconsin: Reopened 5/13/2020
- Wyoming: Reopened 5/16/2020
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