After a month-long shutdown, indoor dining will return to DC on Friday, Jan. 22. Restaurants and bars will be limited to 25 percent capacity or no more than 250 people, whichever is fewer. The ban was supposed to end a week ago, but Mayor Muriel Bowser extended it in light of safety concerns surrounding the inauguration.
Eating inside is still prohibited in Montgomery County until further notice. In Prince George’s County, where the positivity rate for Covid-19 remains over 10-percent, the restrictions will last through at least Jan. 29. (Outdoor dining and takeout are allowed.)
The Restaurant Association of Maryland sued both counties in December in the hopes of reopening dining rooms, but judges in both jurisdiction upheld the bans.
Meanwhile, Northern Virginia restaurants have continued to operate indoors at 50-percent capacity this whole time.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
