An eater’s guide to WA’s COVID dining rules and how to follow them

UPDATE 11/18/2020: As of Nov. 18, 2020, these rules have been paused in all counties due to Washington state reporting its highest COVID-19 case numbers of the pandemic. Through Dec. 14, indoor dining is prohibited across the state. Takeout may continue. Outdoor dining is limited to five members of the same household.

At first, it was five people to a table. Then it was five people but they had to be from the same household. There were no time limits on alcohol service, and then there were. Phase 2 was different from Phase 3, but now they’re basically the same.

If you’re confused, imagine how the restaurant staff tasked with not only keeping track of these rules but also enforcing them must feel.

Several restaurant managers have told The News Tribune, for instance, that guests still ask if they can sit at the bar. Bar seating has been prohibited in Phase 2 counties from the advent of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start recovery program. Originally, Phase 3 counties could allow up to 25 percent capacity of bar seating with physical distancing, but that permission was revoked in July as COVID-19 cases began their summer spike.

Since then, counties across Washington state have largely been stuck in whatever phase they were in this summer. Seventeen mostly rural counties made it to Phase 3 before Inslee paused progression through the phases. A majority — 22, including the three most populous of King, Pierce and Snohomish — linger in Phase 2.

Phase 4 remains a pipe dream at this point, unlikely to be achieved until well into 2021.

The rules we started with in late spring have changed like the seasons — not drastically, but enough that it’s been cumbersome for businesses and customers alike to keep track and stay sane.

You can help by knowing what to do and not do when you go out to eat.

WEAR A MASK MOST OF THE TIME

State regulations require us to wear masks when in public and unable to distance from others by at least six feet. They are mandatory to enter any business. Your mask should cover your nose and mouth.

At restaurants, wear it until you sit down at your table. Wear it when you go to the bathroom or leave your chair for any reason.

If you want to truly be kind and safe, lean back when employees reach over the table to drop or clear a plate. Pull your mask up when they approach your table. Some cities and states have added this requirement or expectation to their mask-wearing rules. Washington has not, but doing so out of kindness and caution shows respect and an understanding of why you’re asked to wear a mask in the first place.

DON’T PUSH THE PARTY RULE

Restaurants can now seat up to six guests per table in Phase 2 counties and eight in Phase 3.

It might seem like an acceptable idea to show up to a restaurant with a group of 10 and insist, “It’s OK to split us up.” That request puts employees in an awkward position. From conversations with dozens of restaurant workers this summer, it almost always led to trouble as the groups inevitably blended into one another, shuffling chairs and yelling across tables. Fortunately, six is a much more amenable number for families with four kids or a grandparent on board.

YES, YOU CAN GO OUT WITH FRIENDS

Initial Safe Start plans only noted the number of customers permitted per table, but from late July through September, we weren’t supposed to go out with friends unless we sat outside. Indoor dining was limited to five people who live in the same household per table. That same-household rule was no doubt flaunted; it was eliminated Oct. 7 for Phase 2 and Phase 3 counties. Don’t abuse this reward.

Public health experts continue to emphasize that we should limit our maskless interactions with people outside our home as much as practically possible.

ALCOHOL ENDS AT 11 P.M.

As cases spiked this summer, Inslee cut off alcohol service at 10 p.m. Now bars and restaurants can serve you until 11 p.m., but be respectful of last call which often falls 30 minutes to an hour before closing time. Note also that taverns, breweries, wineries and distilleries must offer food to seat customers indoors. That rule, unveiled in late July, continues.

NO BAR SEATING, BUT SUSHI COUNTERS ARE OK

You cannot sit at the bar, not until Phase 4. Most restaurants have removed bar stools to make that clear. If you notice customers eating and drinking at the bar, you can file a claim with the state Department of Labor and Industries. It might just be an employee taking a breather, so ask if you’re unsure.

Counter-style seating, as in a sushi bar or lunch counter is permitted, so long as customers and employees can maintain a healthy six feet from one another.

NO GAMES, NO LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

No pool, no pinball, no shuffleboard, no darts.

Bars and restaurants should already have these cordoned off. Unfortunately we cannot enjoy live music either, and that ban includes common bar games like trivia. You can watch a sporting event on TV.

KEEP YOUR DISTANCE

As a customer, you should head straight to your seat, to the bathroom, and out the door, and nowhere else. When waiting in line to order, keep your distance from others. Show restraint to restaurant staff and avoid leaning on counters.

ASK FOR OPEN WINDOWS

The state Department of Health has encouraged businesses to improve air circulation by keeping windows open. Other jurisdictions have followed that health advice, including New York City, which resumed indoor dining this month.

I know, it rains here. A chill is in the air. Bring a sweater. It’s just one more way you can help the restaurant improve conditions for its staff, and, frankly, for yourself.

TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WISH TO BE TREATED

This is my rule. Look, you don’t have to go out. If you feel safe and well enough to do so, you hold the right to make the decision that is best for you and your family. Let others make up their own minds.

If you do, be courteous. Understand that menus might be limited and staffing short. Hospitality workers inherently treat their customers with dignity. You should do the same for them — always, but especially now. They don’t get hazard pay, but they probably should. Whether dining in or ordering takeout, if you can afford it, tip gratuitously.

Say thank you, preferably through your mask.

This story was originally published October 20, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "An eater’s guide to WA’s COVID dining rules and how to follow them."