Outdoor Seating + Face Mask Lawsuit + Reopening Guide + New Normal + Insurance

Jurisdictions that have yet to allow the reopening of restaurant dining rooms are bowing to pressure for outdoor seating to be okayed as an alternative way of providing on-premise service—an option consumers perceive as far safer than eating inside.

Thursday alone, outdoor restaurant dining was given the green light in San Francisco, Chicago and North Carolina—in the latter instance, in direct contradiction to a standing executive order from Gov. Roy Cooper. Under the bill passed by both chambers of the state legislature, restaurants there will be able to provide outdoor seating for 100 people or 50% of their dining room capacities, whichever is lower.

Does Restaurant Business Insurance Cover COVID-19 Claims?

May 20, 2020 via FSR Magazine

As COVID-19 ravages our country and the world, perhaps no sector in the U.S. has suffered more than the restaurant industry. Government orders have effectively closed restaurants for all purposes except, in many states, pickup or delivery. While there is talk of "opening up" the economy, and while some states are taking measures to begin doing so, it’s unclear whether the public-at-large is ready to dine out anytime soon.

For some restaurants, help may be on the way in the form of business interruption insurance. This insurance is typically included in a restaurant’s property insurance package, and kicks in when there has been physical loss or damage to property.