A bar in Cincinnati, Ohio, was full of people on Friday, May 15, as the state relaxed COVID-19 restrictions and permitted restaurants and bars with patios to reopen for outdoor service, reports said.

The state of Ohio implemented soft reopening on May 15, allowing bars and restaurants to resume operation in outdoor areas with a few caveats, according to WLWT. The new order from the Ohio Department of health says employees must wear facial coverings and maintain six feet of distance from customers, and customers must also observe social distancing guidelines among themselves, WLWT reported. Bar and arcade-type games were not allowed. The report said indoor service was slated to resume on May 21.

Video filmed by Bill Hulsizer of Cincinnati Alive shows the crowded scene on the patio of the Rosedale formerly known as Neons in Cincinnati, Ohio. In his post, Hulsizer said the City of Cincinnati closed one small street for 2 restaurants but it wasnt enough.

They need to close the streets, so restaurants can open, Hulsizer said in a message to Storyful. Last night, I took my own cup and had the bartender pour my beer into it, without touching it. Everyone needs to be doing this. Credit: Cincinnati Alive/Bill Hulsizer via Storyful

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Patrons Fill Cincinnati Bar Patio on First Night of Reopening - Yahoo News UK

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - From UpTown to the Marina District, places with patios in Toledo are preparing to get going.

"I don't know whether the people coming into eat are more eager or I am," Old Bag of Nails general manager Donald Goodwin said.

The new restaurant's opening day of March 15 was shuttered by Ohio's stay-at-home order. Since then, workers have only fulfilled take-out orders. When bars and restaurants with patios get the green light to reopen May 15, workers say they'll be ready for customers on the riverfront patio.

"The tables [will be] six feet apart," Goodwin said. "So we'll follow all the guidelines on that part of it."

Across the Maumee River on Adams Street, the crew at The Attic and Mano's Greek Restaurant are also gearing up.

"It's good news we're approaching it very seriously," general manager Amelia Jarret said.

Jarret says her state-mandated floor plan is ready, which includes socially distanced seating, limited tables and one-way entry to the bar.

"We're really thinking it through, very hard about how it's going to look," Jarret said.

Like many bars and restaurants in UpTown, the spot is also located in a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area or DORA. While it's closed for now, leaders in Gov. DeWine's office say DORAs can technically reopen when bars and restaurants do, but under the guidance of local health departments.

As talks continue on how to make it happen in UpTown, Jarret says safely restoring the DORA gives people a chance to get out and space out.

"People can just come in for a moment and get their drink and then they go and they're outside," Jarret said.

For now the focus is on patios and whether off the street or on the water, workers are ready to get back to it.

"If anybody wants to eat on the patio, we'd be more than happy to [accommodate]," Goodwin said.

Toledo-Lucas County Health Department leaders said they're not against the idea of reopening the county's three DORAs, but say that further discussions are needed. An official announcement is expected next week.

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Toledo bars, restaurants with patios gearing up to serve customers by May 15th - 13abc Action News

Gov. Ralph Northam on Friday outlined his eagerly anticipated guidelines for Phase One of reopening Virginia, and the eased restrictions have the biggest impact for churches and personal grooming businesses, such as barbershops and hair salons.

Dubbed safer in place when the governor announced it on Monday, Phase One could begin at the end of next week if current COVID-19 trends hold.

In Phase One, churches and hair salons can resume service at 50% capacity and with some other restrictions, such as social distancing inside and face masks required by both the provider and client at salons. Phase One of the states reopening could last two weeks or longer, Northam said Friday. He also emphasized that the restrictions are a floor, adding that localities that want stricter regulations can reach out to the administration, which will have the final say.

For John Clary, the owner of Studio in the Garden near West Broad Street and Libbie Avenue in Henrico County, the governors announcement came as good news for his salon, which has been closed since Northams order in March to shut down nonessential businesses.

Its been traumatic. Its been horrible not being able to have an income to be able to support our family, Clary said.

Clary was not concerned about Northams requirements for masks during appointments.

Weve been without any business, Clary said. Wearing the masks, the gloves, it doesnt bother me at all. I want people to feel comfortable in being able to come back.

Not all salons are planning to open. Pat Heaney, co-owner of Mango Salon, which has three salon locations in the Richmond area that have been shuttered since March 17 because of the coronavirus pandemic, said the business wasnt planning to open by May 15, adding that he and others are taking time to ensure they have enough personal protective equipment on hand.

Were not going to open until we are 100% confident that our employees, team members and clients will be safe, Heaney said.

Retail stores, nearly all of which were deemed essential by the state and permitted to remain open with some restrictions, can operate in Phase One at 50% capacity and with social distancing inside. Face masks for employees continue not to be mandated by the state for retail businesses deemed essential, but they will be required for workers at every nonessential business permitted to reopen.

Most of the other categories of businesses that were deemed nonessential by the governors office in March must remain closed. Gyms, restaurants and breweries will remain closed inside, but they can offer some service outdoors, such as opening patios or offering small, outdoor fitness classes.

My initial reaction is confusion, said Christian Morganti, regional manager for four Richmond-area Golds Gym franchises. Because I dont understand, given the amount of precautions that our gym, and probably many others, are willing to take, how we arent allowed to open.

Gyms and fitness centers can host outdoor classes with 10 or fewer people in the class and at least 10 feet between class attendees.

Morganti said he thought the Phase One guidelines would allow gyms to be open inside, albeit with social distancing.

Compared to other businesses that, by definition, cannot maintain social distancing and the CDC guidelines are allowed to [open], thats confusing to me, Morganti said. We can maintain social distancing at this establishment. You cant at your dentist office, you cant at your elective surgeries, you cant at the barbershop. You can at the gym.

Still, Morganti said Golds Gym will take advantage of whatever easing of restrictions it can, even if it means small outdoor classes.

He just has to coordinate it with property managers and talk with lawyers about what liabilities that we cover, he said, but if thats what we are given the opportunity to do, we will 1,000% take advantage of that opportunity.

The local restaurant industry is less excited about its Phase One guidelines.

Restaurants and breweries cannot open their dining or tasting rooms, but they can use their patios at 50% capacity and with 6 feet between parties provided the patio is at least 6 feet away from the sidewalk or any public area. Restaurant employees must wear masks and have their temperature taken at the start of each shift, and restaurants must use disposable menus. During Phase One, restaurants must meet a total of 15 daily requirements, according to detailed guidelines posted to the states website at 4:30 p.m. Friday. Nearly every other category of business was issued fewer than 10 opening requirements.

Once again, the restaurants are the ones left fending for themselves, said Michelle Williams, co-owner of the Richmond Restaurant Group, which owns and operates multiple restaurants around town. None of it makes sense. It doesnt seem like people from the industry were involved in this.

Williams said shes not sure yet if shell open any of the patios at her restaurants next week. She said she was still trying to parse the requirements and figure out if her restaurants in the city meet the 6-feet-from-the-sidewalk stipulation.

We havent gotten any clear guidance, she said. Its not a flip the switch. We didnt know what [Phase One] meant for us until 2:30 today.

Williams said theres the added challenge of bringing staff back, and knowing if limited patio seating will bring in enough revenue to warrant it.

Breweries are in the same situation.

At this point, not having really enough time to sort of process that information, it kind of creates more questions than it answers for us, said Tom Sullivan, co-founder of Ardent Craft Ales in Scotts Addition. We would not want to reopen simply because there is a business opportunity there without taking into account the safety of our employees and customers, and that gets sticky rather quickly, given the state of things.

Nancy Thomas, president and CEO of the Retail Merchants trade group, which has about 400 business members in the Richmond region, was hoping the governor would loosen restrictions on restaurants a little more.

We are encouraged that retailers are able to open at 50% capacity in Phase One of the plan, Thomas said. We are discouraged that restaurants were not included in that.

Thomas said allowing restaurants to offer indoor dining would have given them the opportunity to gauge customer preferences and prepare for the time when distancing rules can be eased enough to allow more indoor gatherings.

Plus, not all restaurants have outdoor seating, though the city of Richmond may be easing its process for restaurants to get them. Jim Nolan, a spokesman for Mayor Levar Stoney, said Friday that the city is hoping to have a process in place soon.

We are discussing options for how this can be done to ensure public safety and public health and will await further clarity from the governor next week before determining specific next steps, Nolan said.

But some businesses didnt receive any reopening flexibility in Phase One. Recreation and entertainment venues such as bowling alleys, theaters and music venues must stay closed. Beaches will remain closed except for exercise or fishing; outdoor swimming pools may open, but for lap swimming only and with a limit of one person per lane. And a 10-person limit on social gatherings enforceable as a misdemeanor remains in place, as does the recommendation for wearing masks in public and teleworking for professional businesses.

Northam said Friday that he knows many businesses want to reopen.

I also understand that there are workers who are afraid to go back right now, because they or their loved ones have underlying health conditions. ... I want to assure those workers [too], he said.

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Phase One of reopening Virginia allows salons and patios to open; dining rooms and gyms must stay closed - Richmond.com

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Ed Lee, one of the partners behind Marietta Square Market, said at the time, We think its way too early. We werent ready. As soon as we feel like its safe, well get ready and announce an opening.

In a Facebook post, the food hall announced that all of its restaurants would reopen on Friday and that the patio would be available for on-premise dining as well. The announcement also noted that the patio has been modified to accommodate social distancing guidelines. The AJC has requested additional details about the modifications but has not received a response.

Now more than a year old, Marietta Square Market is home to a wide variety of food vendors offering a range of cuisine, from ramen to Mediterranean to barbecue. Prior to the food halls reopening announcement, a majority of its vendors had closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.When dining editor Ligaya Figueras visited for Atlanta Orders In, five vendors were serving food:Grand Champion BBQ, Luckys Burgers and Brew, Forno Vero, Ponko Chicken and Four Fat Cows Ice Cream and Bakery.

Now that restaurants have had a couple of weeks to observe and understand the guidelines for reopening, all of Marietta Square Markets restaurant vendors will simultaneously reopen. The food hall will continue to offer takeout ordering with curbside pickup available for those who prefer not to go inside. Rich Dippolito, another partner behind the market, previously told the AJC that a memo had been issued to all vendors with detailed instructions for safe sanitization and service even before Gov. Kemps guidelines were released.

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Marietta Square Market reopening with all vendors and patio-only dining - Atlanta Journal Constitution

VIRGINIA (WAVY) As Virginia enters phase 1 of reopening and businesses are allowed to open for outdoor dining, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority is looking to help businesses in that process.

The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority is expanding opportunities for ABC-licensed businesses to serve alcohol outside their establishments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Virginia ABC has created an expedited approval process for outside dining areas as some businesses consider expanding their outdoor dining areas. The process allows the temporary expansion of dining areas only while the governors executive orders 61 and 62 are in effect.

Gov. Ralph Northams Executive Order 61 which starts the phase 1 reopening process allows restaurants to now operate with delivery, take-out, and outdoor dining and beverage services only. Occupancy at those restaurants must be at 50-percent capacity.

Executive Order 62 exempts Northern Virginia from the states reopening process.

The Virginia ABCs new expedited process comes with a few stipulations:

The Virginia ABCs guidance comes just one day after Virginia Beach officials briefed City Council on their plans to safely reopen the beaches and Oceanfront businesses.

Those plans include possibly expanding restaurants ability to serve food and drink on sidewalks, in parking lots and on the boardwalk.

City Council is set to hear more about those plans during a meeting Thursday.

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Virginia ABC allows businesses to expand to outside dining areas such as parking lots or patios but only with a localitys approval - WAVY.com

East Nashvilles lou is ready to reopen this week with takeaway brunch and dinner picnic sacs, whole cakes, and wine. Chef/owner Mailea Weger and crew are also offering socially distanced patio tables outside for booking. Dubbed lou sur place, the takeaway picnic option rolls out on Friday, May 15.

A dinner sac for two people is $80, and this weeks menu includes a shrimp boil, Moroccan carrots, spring pea salad, and more. Brunch sacs are available for $55. Other options are a $40 snack sac, wine, and provisions like a farmers market box, whole cakes, doughnuts, and breakfast cake with wine.

There will be multiple tables on the patio for booking that are spaced out to allow for proper social distancing. Sales will open every Wednesday, and people can pre-order for pick up on Thursday-Sunday. Guests can book online if they would like to sit on the patio. There will be a movie of the week shown outside at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday.

See this weekends menu below, then check lous website for future offerings. Hours for lou sur place are Thursday-Saturday 12 to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 12 until 4 p.m.

1304 McGavock Pike, , TN 37216 (615) 730-6273

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East Nashvilles Lou Returns This Weekend With Socially Distanced Patio Picnics - Eater Nashville

Sad to see Mile End Deli go from the corner across from Railroad Park, but were happy to see Hero Doughnuts expanding. Photo via Hero Doughnuts on Facebook

With an amended order from the state allowing on-premises dining at restaurants, bars and breweries that can follow social distancing guidelines, some Birmingham area restaurants have started to reopen their doors. Heres a list of 7 we know of so far.

Alabamas amended Safer at Home plan announced Friday, May 9, stated that on May 11, 2020, restaurants, bars, breweries and similar establishments may now offer on-premises consumption of food or drink.

The orderwhich will remain in effect until May 22 at 5PMalso stated that party sizes must be limited to no more than eight people who can maintain a six-foot distance between other patrons, and other specific guidelines.

Restaurants, bars and breweries were encouraged to continue take-out and delivery services as well as continue practicing safe social distancing protocols.

Since May 11, restaurants who meet these guidelines have begun to re-open in Birmingham. Here are 7 we know of so far. We will keep you updated as more places open.

Many restaurants in the Birmingham area arent ready to open their doors for customers to dine in. Some need more time to prepare and plan, and some just dont have the space to meet the CDCs social distancing guidelines. But they all still need our support. Here are a few resources with ways to do that now:

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7 Birmingham restaurants opening for in house + patio dining this week - Bham Now

Considering that Jay Dillon is expanding his outdoor furniture business in the middle of a global pandemic, things are going well.

Dillons company, Yardbird, which uses repurposed plastic debris from the ocean to make the furniture, had been planning to expand from its base in Minneapolis to Denver, Kansas City and Detroit. The novel coronavirus then broke out in China and other Asian countries where the company gets about 55% of its products.

As the disease spread around the world, Yardbird went from scrambling to get its goods from overseas to the prospect of having the products but little demand for them after U.S. businesses started closing.

Its nothing that we obviously chose to do, Dillon said of growing the company during a pandemic.

It felt like a roller coaster ride, at one point pushing to get the product and then saying No, dont get product, hold up on product, he added. Ultimately it was this up, down and then up again. Its been chaotic. Its been chaotic for everybody.

Its also been surprisingly rewarding for Yardbird as economic activity has started to pick up. The company opened its first Colorado location last week in Lone Tree when retail stores were allowed to reopen while following guidelines to keep COVID-19 from spreading. Dillon said the Lone Tree showroom did about $250,000 in business. The companys sales, primarily online, totaled roughly $2 million over the past two weeks.

We were aiming to do about half of that (in sale) in a normal environment, said Dillon.

He figures the timing has been serendipitous for Yardbird. Restrictions on business are easing at about the same time the weathers getting warmer and the backyard beckons as a safe place to venture.

As the weather becomes nice and people cant go out to events, if they havent been impacted that much financially, were seeing that theyre investing in their outdoor space to entertain close friends or their families, just to be outdoors, Dillon said.In that regard, we feel very grateful, very fortunate. Were just glad we dont sell mens dress pants since people arent going into work.

Dillon and his father, Bob, launched Yardbird in 2017. The elder Dillon has experience in importing and retail. The son worked in marketing and for a medical devices company.

It was Dillons personal experience of shopping for outdoor furniture that led to starting Yardbird. He saw an opening for a product that wasnt as expensive as that sold by high-end retailers but of higher quality than some of the lower-priced furniture.

Dillon, who lived for a while in Hong Kong, visited factories in Asia and learned more about how other companies use plastic that winds up in the ocean. He said large nets are used to collect plastic and other garbage on the beaches in Hong Kong, but youre still swimming in a ton of debris.

About 60% of everything we sell has intercepted ocean plastic in it. An average set will have at least 20 to 30 pounds of that plastic in it, Dillon said.

Yardbird works with businesses in China and other countries to produce strong plastic whose colors wont easily fade. The company gets about 10% of its products from Europe and 30-35% from the U.S., including a supplier in Durango.

The supply-chain challenges caused by the coronavirus outbreak has Yardbird exploring more domestic sources of material, including aluminum. The company is going to manufacture a new line of Adirondack chairs.

However, Dillon thinks some products from other countries would be hard to replace, such as hand-woven wicker furniture.

Yardbird opened a showroom in Kansas City Monday, but has pushed back an opening in Detroit, which has been a hot spot for the coronavirus.

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Company that turns plastic into patio furniture successfully expands into Denver area during pandemic - The Denver Post

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) Restaurants and breweries in Vancouver now have more freedom in opening up patio spaces in a bid to help the struggling industry amid pandemic.

Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung says the restaurant industry has been hit hard during this pandemic and needs help.

I would hate to see us lose our restaurants. Those small businesses, theyre the heart and soul of our city. Its where we connect and socialize, she says.

After connecting with some local restaurants, Kirby-Yung says she learned some places just needed patio space in order to open again safely.

I talked to operators. I talked to one fella who has five restaurants, small ones in Vancouver. He says, Four of them, I can have an outdoor space, and that will enable me to open,' she says.

A motion passed unanimously Wednesday allowing restaurants and breweries to expand patio spaces.

Kirby-Yung says this will help some restaurants open, while still practicing physical distancing.

We know that our restaurants have high overhead costs. They still have high rent and costs of operating, and the numbers just dont work if they have to stay with their inside spaces. This could make or break the difference between a restaurant being able to survive or being able to re-open up at all, she explains.

The councillor also says it is somewhat of historic motion since Vancouver has never allowed craft breweries to have patios before because theyre located in industrial areas.

For the first time, you can go to somewhere that might of had a small tasting room, or if youre picking up some local Vancouver brews to go, you can actually sit outside to enjoy one, so thats huge, Kirby-Yung says.

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Restaurants, breweries able to expand patio seating in Vancouver - CityNews Vancouver

For one Toronto restaurant owner, a planby Mayor John Tory to allow restaurants to expand their patio space onto city sidewalks and streets may be the only hope to save her Little Italy business, after the battering it hastaken from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anita Mancuso, owner of Sotto Voce Wine and Pasta Bar at 595 College St.,thinks the city could close down a lane of trafficto create more space forrestaurants once they are permitted to open for more than takeout and delivery. Physical distancing to ensure safety of patrons and staff would be part of the plan.

With many restaurants and cafes along College Street, in particular, the plan makes sense, she told CBC Toronto on Wednesday. The plan might take away some parking, butwith fewer people driving their cars right now, parking is easier to find, she added.

At the very least, Mancuso said she would like to use some of the sidewalk.

"This week, I am struggling to figure out how we're going to keep the doors open. I honestly can't think of how we're going to keep going," said Mancuso, who runs the business with her husband.

"I'm not going down without a fight, so I'll take anything. I would love to open the patio. But it has to extend."

The restaurant has already laid off all of its staff "I can't bring them back" and has taken advantage of all government programs it can. Initially, it was traumatizing, then there was a month ofrepainting and fixing, but now, the longer it goes on, the harder it is, she said.

Under normal circumstances, Sotto Voce can fit 12 tables on its patio. The tables are normally four inches apart, "very New York style." She said the revenue she makes on the patio pays for the whole year.

Normally, the patio would have tables tight together, with fire pits for warmth on cooler nights and a fewcomfy couches. The patio can seat 24 people.

"Big groups that don't know each other are able to sit cozyall together around either of the fire pits," she said. "It's meant to be reallycomfortable, sitting with people you don't know.And you meet people you don't know. Everyone talks to everyone. That's the success of this place. It's the same inside."

But if the city eventually allows restaurants to open their patios with physical distancing guidelines in place, Mancusosaid she would likely be able to fit only about five tables on her patio at half capacity, even thoughthe patio is bigger than the restaurant.

"It just doesn't work.Five tables cannot support the rent in thiscity."

However, more patio space would mean more tables, and Mancuso said she really needs the city to allow her to expand her outdoor seating area. If tables were spaced six feet apart over a larger area, it might work.

"There's no reason why tables couldn't go the length of my restaurant here. I could probably get three or four tables in," she said while standing outside on the sidewalk.

"It definitely can't hurt. We would take it and embrace it because we don't have an alternative. And there aren't anyother new alternatives or initiatives coming. If they are going to allow us to do patios, we have to be able to do themthe best we can, with safety in mind, for staff, for our patrons."

At a daily news briefing on COVID-19 on Wednesday, Tory said he is considering the move.

The mayorhas asked city staff from Transportation Services to identify areas where restaurants could expand their patio space as part of his overall recovery plan.

"What I have asked the city staff to come forward with is areas of the city that would be appropriate to take up road space and sidewalk space. We have had some success on King Street obviously with the King Street pilot," Tory said.

The mayor said he hopes to have a list of locationssoon and he believes the expansion would be useful in the recovery period.

"I think not only could this provide us with a more enjoyable summer ...but I also believe that it could be a lifeline for some of our restaurantsand especially in light of the fact they will probablybe required to have tables both inside and outside that are spaced further apart," Tory said.

"I think we can sweep away some of the red tape and get this done as a way of making the city even more friendly for everybody but also for our hard-working friends in the restaurant business."

As for Sotto Voce Wine and Pasta Bar, it markeda milestone on May 1, its 20thyear in business. Mancuso said she has gone through all the "hills and valleys of everything" in two decades.

"For two years, I've been planning this huge street party, all our clients, 20 years, big white ball.It didn't exactly go that way," Mancuso said.

With COVID-19, not only is there no party, but there are also no customers allowed to dine inside. The restaurant offers takeout and a patron made a sign for the restaurant to advertise that fact.

It's not over yet, however, and Mancuso said she will wait to see what the mayor proposes.

"They have to do something, ornone of us are going to survive."

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Plan to allow eateries to expand patios could save many businesses, restaurateur says - CBC.ca