Outdoor Dining May Continue To Be Offered In Howard County

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Outdoor dining may continue to be available in Howard County until Nov. 15 as a way to continue supporting local restaurants and bars. Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced the emergency legislation Wednesday as a way to assist those establishments that added or expanded outdoor dining during the coronavirus pandemic.

In June 2020, Ball announced a new temporary use permit for outdoor table service that allowed bars and restaurants to create or expand their outdoor seating while indoor dining capacity limits were in place. More than 60 restaurants applied for the permits. The permit, however, is tied to the county’s state of emergency, which is set to expire at the same time as the state’s emergency order on Aug. 15.

“During the last few months, I have visited dozens of restaurants where the owners say they are beginning to recover from the losses suffered during the pandemic,” Ball said at a press conference. “By allowing them to continue to offer outdoor seating, we hope they will be able to rebound even more quickly. I am optimistic the County Council will vote to approve the extension by month’s end.”

“We got into this business for the love of hospitality, but it isn’t very hospitable to deny patrons outside seating where they would feel more comfortable and safer,” said Tricia Hudson, owner/operator of Hudson Coastal Raw Bar and Grill and a member of the executive board of the Restaurant Association of Maryland. “We hope that the Council works expeditiously to allow restaurants to continue with outdoor seating through Nov. 15.”

“We have suffered. We have borrowed. We have begged to keep the doors open so our employees remain employed,” added Randy Marriner, owner of the Victoria Restaurant Group. “Anything that we can do to extend our season is critical to helping us get back to where we were.”

Ball also announced during a press conference that his administration is working on a process to allow some of the restaurants to make their outdoor seating permanent.

Just last week, the Howard County Board of License Commissioners voted unanimously to allow restaurants, bars and taverns in the county to continue to sell to-go alcoholic beverages. The policy allows alcoholic beverages, including cocktails and mixed drinks, to be available for carryout or delivery from licensed establishments through at least June 30, 2023.