November 25, 2020
Dear Playhouse Village Businesses,
As you may be aware, the City of Pasadena continues to allow outdoor dining to operate within the city jurisdiction. However, the ability to continue with outdoor dining relies on your efforts to comply with the City's reopening protocols. To this end, the City will undertake broader and more aggressive enforcement efforts effectively immediately. The dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations is of great concern for the City of Pasadena, its residents, and healthcare partners. Using a focused enforcement strategy, informed by data, the City will exercise more hands on control with restaurants and other businesses with whom we have already worked diligently to gain compliance through education. As a reminder, all restaurants must comply with the Reopening Protocols including the following:
- Completed Protocol Checklist is posted at the entrance of the facility
- Proper signage with the following information is posted at the entrance of the facility
- Customers are required to wear face covering
- Customers shall not enter if experiencing symptoms of COVID-19
- Maintain physical distance of 6-feet at all time
- Employees properly wear face coverings at all times. Customers should wear face coverings at all times except during eating and drinking.
- Face shields should be worn by wait staff and other employees when servicing customers not wearing a cloth face covering to eat and drink. The face shield is to be worn in addition to the cloth face covering.
- Physical Distancing
- Customers of different parties are seated at least 6-feet apart at all time. For example, this may mean dining tables should be placed up to 8-feet apart to ensure 6-feet distancing from other dining parties.
- Parties are limited to 6 or fewer individuals from the same household
- Waiting areas are configured to allow a minimum of 6-feet between individual
- Floor markings identify 6-feet of distance in customer waiting areas/line
- Plexiglass is installed at counters where 6-feet of physical distance cannot be achieve
- Hand washing/hand sanitizer – handwashing sinks are accessible and stocked with liquid hand soap and paper towels. Hand sanitizer is available in customer areas.
- Commonly touched surfaces are disinfected frequently.
- Outdoor dining areas are open on a minimum of three-sides to allow for adequate ventilation. Tents may only have one wall and must follow all tent guidelines issued by the City of Pasadena.
- Reservations are highly recommended
- Assign an employee to manage the flow of customers at the entrance and exit
- Queuing and waiting areas must be strictly controlled to maintain social distancing and to prevent crowding.
- Strongly recommend using an app or collecting customer's cell phone number to notify customer to return when their table is ready
- Do not serve standing customers or seat customers at a bar counter
- Serving food and drink to customers in waiting areas or anywhere other than while seated at a table is prohibited.
- Live entertainment, including DJs, is not allowed
Restaurants are responsible for ensuring all customers follow public health guidance and must control outdoor spaces, including waiting areas, so they don’t become social gathering places. The Pasadena Public Health Department will continue to closely monitor COVID-19 case and hospitalization rates, and take all necessary steps to protect the public’s health, including further restrictions of business sectors if needed. The City is also coordinating with L.A. County to understand when and if any further restrictions on outdoor dining may be enacted should a new Safer at Home order be issued in the coming days or weeks. We will update you as this information becomes clear. Review the complete Pasadena Public Health Department Reopening Protocols for Restaurants and Breweries for more detailed guidance. Thank you for doing your part to keep our community safe.
The PVA is committed to supporting our business community in every possible way. Please don’t hesitate to contact the PVA at info@playhousevillage.org with any questions or concerns you may have.
