Update at 6:25 p.m. March 22, 2020: Dallas County issued a shelter-in-place ruling that begins at 11:59 p.m. March 23 and continues through April 3. County commissioners are expected to extend the order past April 3.
The order says that all businesses not deemed essential must stop operating. But, restaurants (and grocery stores and farmers markets and liquor stores) are ruled “essential,” which means they can continue to offer takeout, delivery and to-go.
We’ll continually update this story.
Update at 12:50 p.m. March 19, 2020: Gov. Greg Abbott announced temporary closures of all dine-in restaurants in the state of Texas. Restaurants can still offer delivery, pickup and drive-thru. The order begins at the end of the day on March 20 and continues through April 3.
Restaurant and bar owners whose cities or counties have issued emergency declarations after April 3 will need to follow those.
Original story, written March 17, 2020 and updated with Gov. Abbott and Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins’ latest orders:
On March 16, President Donald Trump told Americans they should “avoid eating and drinking in bars, restaurants and public food courts” to try to minimize the spread of the new coronavirus.
About two hours later, the city of Dallas and Dallas County issued emergency regulations that drastically affect the way bars and restaurants can operate. Establishments that don’t serve food, like bars and lounges, have been ordered to close temporarily. Restaurants aren’t allowed to let customers dine inside their establishments but can remain open and offer drive-thru, delivery and to-go.
Tarrant County passed similar restrictions on March 18. Bars and restaurants in Tarrant County have been ordered to offer to to-go and delivery, no dine-in service.
By March 19, the governor of Texas issued an order closing all restaurants. Restaurants can still sell food to-go, via delivery and in drive-thrus. Starting March 24, Dallas County residents are being asked to shelter in place.
Email sblaskovich@dallasnews.com if you have questions about how the coronavirus emergency declarations work, as they relate to restaurants and bars. We will try to get your questions answered.
Where did restaurants close?
Dine-in restaurants will be closed all over the state of Texas. They can offer drive-thru, take-out or delivery, however.
Why were these decisions made?
Public officials, following the recommendations of the federal government, say they need to protect their citizens. “Community spread” of the coronavirus — meaning that people have become infected with the virus without having traveled to an affected area — is a major concern.
“Public health has been at the core of our discussions,” said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson. “The message that we heard has been consistent: Act early, act aggressively, act in the interest of public health first.”
Ambassador Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, said during a March 16 news conference that the White House is "appealing to all Americans to take these steps, to protect each other and to ensure the virus doesn’t spread.”
Across the country, state and city governments have made sweeping changes to keep people contained — and that means keeping them largely out of restaurants and bars. Ten other states and major cities such as Denver have ordered restaurant-related closures.
Do public health experts say it’s OK to pick up food at a restaurant?
Only if you have to. But think twice, says Dr. Bijal Balasubramanian, epidemiologist and regional dean of the UTHealth School of Public Health, Dallas campus. First, consider other options, like cooking at home.
“We’re not saying it’s OK to go,” Balasubramanian says. “We’re saying, stay home as much as possible. But if you need to get food, go to a drive-thru or get pick up.”
She says to take the same approach if you’re low on groceries: Only go if you need supplies.
How long will this last?
Gov. Abbott’s order is effective at 11:59 p.m. March 20 and continues until April 3.
The city of Dallas’ emergency regulations were extended through April 29, which means that restaurant and bar owners must follow both the state order until April 3 and also the city order through April 29.
The shelter-in-place order from Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins runs from 11:59 p.m. March 23 through April 3. It’s expected to be extended.
Who is enforcing the closures?
The statewide order is expected to be enforced by local health inspectors and police, according to the governor’s office.
What happens if restaurants or bars violate the rules?
The fines will come from local jurisdictions. In Dallas, the city says that a person who violates these regulations could be fined $50 and $2,000 if they are convicted.
Are grocery stores affected?
No. None of the city or county mandates have suggested that grocery stores should close. If anything, grocery retailers are scrambling to hire more staff. Retail reporter Maria Halkias wrote in a recent story that “The CEOs of the major chains had a conference call with the White House on Sunday in which they said they were committed to staying open, but they also asked President Donald Trump to tell Americans to stop hoarding goods.”
In the Dallas County order to shelter in place, grocery stores were considered “essential businesses.”
Can food trucks still operate?
Yes. A Dallas spokesman urges customers to stay 6 feet away from other people.
Are donut shops, coffee shops, sandwich shops and ice cream shops allowed to remain open?
Yes, with caveats. Fast-casual shops like bakeries, coffee shops, sandwich shops and the like can still sell to-go food, delivery and pick-up. But customers can’t sit inside or outside.
What about bars without food? Are they open?
No.
Can I still eat restaurant food? How?
Consumers can order to-go, delivery or drive-thru food from any restaurant that is offering it. And many are. Find a list of restaurants pivoting to “no-touch” delivery and other novel ideas here.
Can breweries and wineries operate? How about wine shops?
In Dallas County, breweries, wineries and wine shops can continue to operate for take-out purposes only.
Interestingly, wine shops might see an increase in sales as we’re all told to hunker down and stay home.
What other kinds of establishments are affected?
According to our story, the executive order by Abbott limits social gatherings to fewer than 10 people and restricts people from visiting nursing homes and retirement centers unless they are providing “critical assistance,” he said.
All schools in the state will be temporarily closed.
The city of Dallas had already closed recreation centers, libraries and cultural facilities due to concerns about the coronavirus outbreak.
The Dallas County mandate that begins at 11:59 p.m. March 23 also does not close grocery stores, liquor stores, hospitals or clinics, essential government functions, trash pickup or childcare services. It prohibits weddings and religious services. Elective surgeries and dental work will be postponed.
NorthPark and Galleria Dallas had already announced several days earlier that they would close temporarily.
