Manhattan Beach Approves Later Night Dining Hours For Restaurants

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Outdoor dining hours have been extended by the City of Manhattan Beach, enabling them to close their doors at 11 p.m. instead of the previous 10 p.m. cut-off time. The new "last call" for food and drink will be 10:30 p.m., according to a city news release.

“Our city is fortunate to have fantastic outdoor dining," said Mayor Richard Montgomery, "and our restaurants can now extend those opportunities with an extra hour of operation. That being said, our businesses and patrons must be mindful of residential communities nearby. We are a community and we must all do our part to ensure that both residents and businesses can thrive during these difficult times.”

Customers are required to leave a restaurant's outdoor dining area by 11 p.m. Restaurant staff will be allowed 30 minutes to clean and secure their dining decks. City Council, to gain compliance, recently added finable violations to the existing enforcement policy for outdoor dining. The enforcement policy now is as follows:

• 1st Violation - $250 fine;
• 2nd Violation - $500 fine;
• 3rd Violation - $1,000 fine and suspension of all operations for two days; and
• 4th Violation - $1,000 fine and suspension of all operations for four days.

To report a possible violation, call the City’s non-emergency phone number at (310) 802-5140.

The City advises the public, customers, and employees that they "must continue to follow Public Health Orders and City Orders, including wearing face coverings and physical distancing at all times. Diners may remove their face covering only while eating food and drinking beverages," according to the news release.

That release also said, "It is the community’s shared responsibility to slow the spread of COVID-19. By adhering to social distancing, wearing face coverings, hand washing, and avoiding crowds, confined spaces, and close contact, we can collectively prevent future surges in coronavirus cases."