Indoor Dining Will Likely Resume In SF On March 3rd

In a webinar Wednesday, the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development announced that indoor dining will be allowed to resume as early as March 3rd, at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer. The decision will depend on whether or not SF advances to the “red tier” of the state’s reopening plan, which is projected to happen next Tuesday.

The move to the red tier will also mean that indoor businesses like gyms, museums, movie theaters, and bars that serve food can reopen for indoor service at limited capacities. “Our numbers are moving in the right direction,” Mayor London Breed said in the webinar, while encouraging people to continue to do their part to uphold safety protocols and wear masks. “And I’m hopeful that together we can continue to reopen safely.”

If you’re feeling déjà vu, you’re not alone. This isn’t the first time the city has attempted indoor dining - last November, after having reopened inside at limited capacity for just over two months, SF restaurants had to close their dining rooms after the city saw a 250% increase in coronavirus cases. SF reinstated outdoor dining about a month ago.

If all goes according to plan, SF won’t be the only Bay Area county to be in the red tier - earlier this week, both Marin and San Mateo Counties moved up and reopened indoor dining right away. The rest of the Bay Area - and most of California - remains in the purple tier, which only allows restaurants to be open for outdoor dining, takeout, and delivery only.

So, what does this mean for the city’s restaurant workers? (When the city first reopened last year, restaurant workers shared health and safety concerns with us here). This time around, they’re eligible for the vaccine as part of Phase 1B. You can read more about what that means here, and sign up to be notified when it’s your turn here.