Texas Reopening Checklist for Restaurants

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Health Protocols for Serving Your Customers

Parties maintain at least 6 feet of distance from other parties at all times, including while waiting to be seated in the restaurant.
Make a hand sanitizing station available upon entry to the restaurant.
No tables of more than 6 people.
Dining
Do not leave condiments, silverware, flatware, glassware, or other traditional table top items on an unoccupied table
Provide condiments only upon request, and in single use (non-reusable) portions.
Use disposable menus (new for each patron)
If a buffet is offered, restaurant employees serve the food to customers
Contactless payment is encouraged. Where not available, contact should be minimized. Both parties should wash or sanitize hands after the payment process.

Health Protocols for Your Employees and Contractors

Train all employees and contractors on appropriate cleaning and disinfection, hand hygiene, and respiratory etiquette.
Screen employees and contractors before coming into the restaurant:
Send home any employee or contractor who has any of the following new or worsening signs or symptoms of possible COVID-19: - Cough - Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing - Chills - Repeated shaking with chills - Muscle pain - Headache - Sore throat - Loss of taste or smell - Diarrhea - Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit - Known close contact with a person who is lab confirmed to have COVID-19
Do not allow employees or contractors with new or worsening signs or symptoms listed above to return to work until: - In the case of an employee or contractor who was diagnosed with COVID-19, the individual may return to work when all three of the following criteria are met: at least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since recovery (resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications); and the individual has improvement in symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared; or - In the case of an employee or contractor who has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and does not get evaluated by a medical professional or tested for COVID-19, the individual is assumed to have COVID-19, and the individual may not return to work until the individual has completed the same three-step criteria listed above; or - If the employee or contractor has symptoms that could be COVID-19 and wants to return to work before completing the above self-isolation period, the individual must obtain a medical professional’s note clearing the individual for return based on an alternative diagnosis.
Do not allow an employee or contractor with known close contact to a person who is labconfirmed to have COVID-19 to return to work until the end of the 14 day self-quarantine period from the last date of exposure (with an exception granted for healthcare workers and critical infrastructure workers).
Have employees and contractors wash or sanitize their hands upon entering the restaurant, and between interactions with customers.
Have employees and contractors maintain at least 6 feet of separation from other individuals. If such distancing is not feasible, measures such as face covering, hand hygiene, cough etiquette, cleanliness, and sanitation should be rigorously practiced.
Consistent with the actions taken by many restaurants across the state, consider having all employees and contractors wear cloth face coverings (over the nose and mouth). If available, employees and contractors should consider wearing non-medical grade face masks.

Health Protocols for Your Facilities

Take steps to ensure 6 feet social distancing is maintained at the bar between individual patrons, between patrons and waitstaff, and between patrons and bar items such as clean glassware and ice. Such separation may be obtained by ensuring bartenders remain at least 6 feet from customers at the bar, such as by taping off or otherwise blocking bartenders from being within 6 feet of a seated customer, or the use of engineering controls, such as dividers, to keep individuals and/or the bar separate from other individuals.
Consider having an employee or contractor manage and control access to the restaurant, including opening doors to prevent patrons from touching door handles.
Regularly and frequently clean and disinfect any regularly touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, tables, and chairs.
Regularly and frequently clean restrooms, and document the cleanings.
Disinfect any items that come into contact with customers.
Make hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, soap and water, or similar disinfectant readily available to employees, contractors, and customers
Consider placing readily visible signage at the restaurant to remind everyone of best hygiene practices.
Clean and disinfect the area used for dining (table, etc.) after each group of customers depart, including the disinfecting of tables, chairs, stalls, and countertops.
Clean and sanitize restaurants daily.
For restaurants with more than 10 employees and/or contractors present at one time, consider having an individual wholly or partially dedicated to ensuring the health protocols adopted by the restaurant are being successfully implemented and followed.
TABC staff should monitor restaurants throughout the state of Texas to ensure compliance with these protocols. TABC has the authority to suspend any license that poses an immediate threat or danger to public safety. Failure to follow these protocols may result in a 30-day license suspension for the first infraction, and a 60-day suspension for a second infraction.