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Restaurants, bars in St. Louis County return to 50% capacity

The previous limit was 25%. All other safety restrictions for employees and customers remain in place

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — St. Louis County is now allowing businesses, including restaurants and bars, to expand capacity to 50% as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 11. 

The previous limit was 25%. All other safety restrictions for employees and customers remain in place.

According to a release from St. Louis County Executive Sam Page's spokesperson, the change came after a decrease in cases and improvement of associated metrics, including hospitalizations, along with a continued strong compliance with public health orders.

“We have been measured and thoughtful in our response to this pandemic and listened closely to our various advisory groups on how to reopen our businesses in a way that is safe to employees and customers,” Page said.

The county health department said it has worked closely with its Restaurant Advisory Group, which led to reopening restaurants at 25% capacity in January and pushing back the curfew an hour to 11 p.m. earlier this month.

“While COVID-19 case numbers have decreased and some associated metrics have started to improve, it is still imperative that stringent mitigation strategies continue to be employed to control community transmission of the virus, which still has the potential to overwhelm the health care system in the St. Louis region,” states the amended public health order changing capacity limits. “The most important action that every individual can take to protect themselves and others is to limit unnecessary person-to-person interactions outside of their household.”

The following guidelines for restaurants and bars remain in place, according to the county:

  • Close by 11 p.m. for indoor and outdoor service. Carryout and delivery are not subject to the 11 p.m. curfew.
  • Provide employees and volunteers working in the businesses’ facility with face masks or supplies to make face coverings.
  • Require customers to wear face masks at all times when they are interacting with or being served by a restaurant employee.
  • Require customers to remain seated except when going to the restroom.
  • Comply with social distancing requirements, disinfection processes and any additional applicable requirements as determined by DPH. These additional requirements are posted on stlcorona.com and relate to general and business-specific operating standards, guidelines and protocols.
  • Assist DPH with contact tracing when asked.
  • Weather permitting, all restaurants and bars are encouraged to continue to provide outdoor service, carryout and delivery.

Banquet facilities are also subject to the 50% capacity limitation or 50 people or less if the fire or building code allows 100 or more people. Banquet facilities must comply with all the operating guidelines of restaurants and bars.

For Lisa LaRuffa, co-partner of Farotto's in Rock Hill, she's happy to see the bump in capacity. 

"The timing is excellent, especially with this weather," she said. 

This 50% increase also gives Parkmoor in Webster Groves a chance to increase revenue.

"The numbers make sense for us to open up breakfast again at 50%," Managing Partner Frank Romano said.

Opening the restaurant during a pandemic, Romano knows the measures to put in place to try to keep guests safe. 

"We are doing contact tracing through a QR code. We also have an upgraded filtration system. With the new variants, I believe, if they follow procedures and protocols, I think that will keep us all safe," he said. 

Dr. Fred Buckhold with SSM Health SLU Hospital agrees ventilation and filtration are helpful.

"That certainly reduces transmission. It seems like it certainly matters what restaurants do," he added. 

With new variants in play though, Dr. Buckhold worries about the timing of this 50% expansion.

"It doesn’t seem like the perfect time to do that, but honestly I don’t know when the perfect time is," he said. "Hopefully more people get vaccinated. I think that will be a key part of this. At that point whenever that occurs, that’s when we can start opening things up a little more."

The owner of Nudo House and Mai Lee said he won't expand to 50% until his employees are all vaccinated. 

Owners are taking a different approach to this announcement, but many agree on the idea to continue supporting local. Whether that's indoor dining, if you're comfortable, or curbside pick up. 

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