SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - Bar seating in Delaware beach towns can resume on Friday. Governor Carney closed bar seating in East Sussex County ahead of Fourth of July Weekend and he's reopening it ahead of Labor Day Weekend.
Bar stools must be spaced out so that people can social distance between households and Phase two guidance must be followed. Customers have to make a reservation and order food to sit at the bar. Most bars and restaurants we spoke to on Thursday said these guidelines were too restrictive to start offering bar seating Labor Day Weekend.
Governor Carney says, "This is a test for us. I know that people can pull together and follow the guidance. It really comes down to wearing a face covering."
Bars in zip codes once closed ahead of Fourth of July Weekend are prepping for the test, putting their stools down in time for the last holiday weekend of summer. "It's Labor Day Weekend," says Dos Locos manager and bartender Manuel Tejeda. "We already survived the whole summer without it."
Tejeda says reopening his bar is too little too late, especially given how many customers he has room to serve at once.
"It's a 14-seated bar," Tejeda says. "We're probably going to have three groups at most." DPH Office of Health Systems Protection Chief Jamie Mack says allowing bar seating is geared towards helping businesses traditionally equipped for it. Mack says, "This allows them to get back to some of that, essentially have more seats in the facility."
Requiring customers to order food at the bar and concerns for the safety of guests and staff will keep the stools at Cantina upside down for now.
Cantina General Manager A.j. Borrero say, "We will continue to follow the rules implemented to be safe and will contemplate having bar stools in the future."
Revelation Craft Brewery owner Patrick Staggs says its not worth it to serve people at his 15-seat bar.
"By the time we space and adhere to that rule, we don't really gain much," Staggs says. "All that would really do is kind of provide more congestion up there."
Staggs says his current format for outdoor dining will continue to be more effective. Customers can still place their order at the bar, no food or reservation required to sit at one of the tables.
"It's a little strange, the food portion of it, so I would contest that a little bit," Staggs says. "We can do it at Revelation. We have a food truck on site." Staggs says reducing distancing requirements at bars and restaurants would be more helpful, so long as face masks are worn.
Other bars and restaurants told WRDE that they're worried the restrictions are too cumbersome to follow, saying they may inadvertently break the rules and that the same rules weren't imposed on bars in other zip codes throughout the state.
