Downtown Las Vegas Restaurants Can Now Offer Sidewalk Dining

First dine-in restaurants could open and now the City of Las Vegas is letting those restaurants expand onto the sidewalk. Restaurants can now temporarily expand their dining rooms outside within a confined area that spans the Arts District, Fremont East, and in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas.

The rules apply to restaurants in the area that runs from Sahara Avenue to U.S. 95, and from the I-15 to Las Vegas Boulevard, along with a slender trek bordering Fremont Street down to Eastern Avenue.

Restaurants have to adhere to social distancing provisions for tables as well as the sidewalk, leaving pedestrians at least six feet of space for walking. The patio has to be marked off with removable barriers. And the sidewalk patio cannot overlap with an adjacent business by more than 50 feet. The city recommends that neighboring businesses coordinate their outdoor seating.

Restaurants can’t cook outside on the sidewalk, and music can be played from within the restaurant, but not outside.

Shops can also participate in the program.

Gov. Steve Sisolak permitted restaurants to reopen with dine-in service on May 9. His new directive stays in place until May 30, when he may reopen more of the state for business. Casinos and bars remain closed.

Restaurants can only allow 50 percent seating capacity with no seating in the bar area. Sisolak encourages reservations to keep the number of people in a restaurant down, and tables will be spaced six feet apart. He said staff will need to wear masks, and he encourages customers to do the same. Pubs, wineries, bars, and breweries that serve food are allowed to reopen as long as they serve food and keep the bar area closed.

The Southern Nevada Health District released a list of guidelines for restaurants that choose to reopen for dine-in service that includes similar recommendations.

• Nevada’s Governor Permits Restaurants to Reopen for Dine-in Service on May 9 [ELV]

• How Coronavirus Is Affecting Las Vegas Food and Restaurants [ELV]