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Restaurants and other businesses allowed to expand capacity
Texas lets up on a coronavirus restriction today. Businesses including restaurants be up to 75% full.
DALLAS - Beginning Monday, restaurants and other businesses in Texas can open up to 75% capacity. It's the latest step in the governor's plan to reopen Texas.
Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order this past Thursday loosening restrictions for many businesses now that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has decreased.
Restaurants, office buildings, gyms, retail stores and museums can increase capacity from 50 to 75%. But bars must remain closed.
The 50% limit also remains in three parts of South Texas where the pandemic is still out of control.
At Terry Blacks BBQ in Deep Ellum, Robert Talamantez said it’s great news. He said managers plan on rearranging the dining room to fit more customers while still keeping the tables six feet apart.
“For some venues, that absolutely does present a problem. For us, we are a little large so we are able to take advantage of that. Once we are able to get that down to a smaller amount we’ll be able to utilize more capacity here at our restaurant,” he said.
Talamantez said they had to lay off a majority of their staff during the shutdown. They hope to bring some people back now that the will be serving more customers.
“We hope this gives guests out there, customers out there the confidence. We are taking every precaution to make sure their safety is our highest priority and hopefully that will influence them to come out and join us,” he said.
Gov. Abbott said he made the decision based on the decrease in COVID-19 hospitalizations. But if that number goes up again, restrictions could be put back into place.
Masks are still mandatory across the state.