Hogan expands indoor dining to 75%, in time for Maryland "Restaurant Week"

Hogan expands indoor dining to 75%, in time for Maryland "Restaurant Week"

Just in time for the first ever "Maryland Restaurant week," Governor Larry Hogan is allowing restaurants to serve up to 75 percent indoor capacity.

MARYLAND.

GOVERNOR LARRY HOGSAYS THE STATE IS REPORTINGITS LOWEST-EVER DAILY AND7-DAY COVID POSITIVITY RATES.WITH THE NUMBERS LOOKING THEWAY THEY ARE, HOGAN HASDECIDED TO EXPAND INDOORDINING CAPACITY FROM 50 TO 75PERCENT.

WMAR 2 NEWS ABBYISAACS TALKED WITH RESTAURANABOUT HOW THIS IMPACTS THEM.LOOKLIVE- RESTAURANT OWNERSSAY THEIR HAPPY, OPTIMISTICITMOVING IN THE RIGHTDIRECTION..

BUT THEY SAY ITREALLY DOESNDIFFERENCE LOGISTICALLY RIGHTNOW BECAUSE THEY ARE STILLFOLLOWING SOCIAL DISTANCIGUIDELINES.

MARK HEMMIS- Wegot some heaters outside tomake some of these coevenings a little moremanageable AS FALL APPROACHESBRINGING UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THESPREAD OF COVID-19, ELLICOCITY RESTAURANTS CONTINUE TOADAPT TO STAY IN BUSINESS.STEPHEN GRUSS- This townsstranger to problems, floodsand now this.

So we are makingdo.

Wehow many restaurants wentunder during this time so weare sort of looking at it in apositive way.

ANOTHER POSITIVEFOR THE BUSINESS, WITH RECORDLOW DAILY AND 7-DAY COVPOSITIVITY RATES, GOVERNORLARRY HOGAN IS ALLOWINGRESTAURANTS TO EXPAND INDOORDINING CAPACITY.

HEMMIS- Ithink ithe states moving in apositive direction withcontrolling this virus whichis the real benefit of thisSTARTING TOMORROW AT 5PM,RESTAURANTS CAN GO FROM 50 TO75 PERCENT INDOOR CAPACIWITH APPROPRIATE DISTANCING.THE PRESIDENT OF THERESTAURANT ASSOCIATION OFMARYLAND SAYS THIS IS GREATNEWS, THAT THE WEATHER WILLSOON ELIMINATE OUTDOOR DININGAS A VIABLE OPTION AND THEINCREASE OF INDOOR CAPACITYWILL HELP MAKE UP FOR THATLOSS.

HOWARD AND HARFOCOUNTIES HAVE BOTH ANNOUNCEDTHEY WILL BE FOLLOWING THEEXPANDED CAPACITY.

BUT SOMERESTAURANTS DONCHANGING ANYTHINGLOGISTICALLY.

HEMMIS- We canput more tables in right nowthat are 6 feet apart fromeverybody else GRUSS- Westill at capacity right now,because of the 6 feet socialdistancing thathandicapped us as far asgenerating revenue.

LA PALAPAAND PHOENIX UPPER MAIN ARE NOTEVEN AT 50 PERCENT INDOORCAPACITY RIGHT NOW HEMMIS-When we spaced out our tables,weren50 percent but we are excitedfor the opportunity to be opeand keep people employed THEANNOUNCEMENT KICKED OFF THESTATRESTAURANT WEEK& HOGANENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO SUPPORTTHEIR FAVORITE LOCALBUSINESSES.

GRUSS- The chains,they will be fine, the willsurvive this sort of thing,but the mom and pop placeshtat have dug into their ownpersonal saving and didnthink it was gonna last thislong, theyre the people thatneed help.

LOOKLIVE- MARYLANDRESTAURANT WEEK GOES UNTIL NEXTSUNDAY.

IN BALTIMORE ABBYISAACS WMAR 2 NEWS.LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE WORKINGHARD TO STAY AFLOAT D