Brick Restaurants Get Ready For Outdoor Dining

BRICK, NJ — When outdoor dining opens across the state on Monday, there will be at least 20 restaurants in Brick Township that will be ready to serve patrons.

Restaurants and bars have been limited to takeout or delivery service since March 16, when Gov. Phil Murphy shut down businesses across the state as the coronavirus outbreak was escalating.

But in recent weeks, as the outbreak has slowed, Murphy has issued a series of executive orders allowing various businesses to reopen. On June 2, he said restaurants and bars could reopen for outdoor dining only. Read more: Here's What You'll Do At NJ Bars, Restaurants Under Coronavirus Rules

In anticipation of Murphy's order, Brick Township officials in late May approved a permit to allow restaurants to set up outside dining. The permit fee was waived, and the town added a provision to allow for tents during Tuesday's council meeting.

Brick Mayor John G. Ducey said the permit was an effort to help restaurants and bars in the midst of the crisis.

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Ocean County Health Department officials said the department will be making sure restaurants are complying with all of the safety rules, both those related to the coronavirus and the original food safety regulations.

"We not only want to make sure you’re safe from food-borne illness and other health concerns while dining out, but we also want to keep everyone safe when we are in these establishments doing our job," said John Protonentis, the county health department's environmental health coordinator. "We’ll have a typical busy summer ahead of us with approximately 3,250 retail food establishments within the jurisdiction of the OCHD with a good amount scheduled for inspection."

Restaurants that are not following the coronavirus executive orders "will continue to be forwarded to the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department for follow-up and enforcement," said Daniel Regenye, the county's public health coordinator.

"The OCHD still expect our residents to follow social distancing and health hygiene measures whether dining out or participating in other activities," Regenye said. "Food establishment managers and their staff must encourage customers to follow these guidelines if we hope to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus moving forward."

The restaurants in Brick that have received the outdoor dining permit so far include:

• Used To Be’s
• Jack & Mikes
• Shoregood Pancake
• Applebees
• Outback Steakhouse
• Mantoloking Road Alehouse
• Meemoms
• IKKO
• Cordi’s Italian Gourmet
• Carrabba’s
• PJ Sweeney’s
• Taylor Sams
• IHOP
• Rainbow Diner
• Urban Coal House
• Tuscany
• Via Veneto
• Nino’s Coal Fired
• Windward Tavern
• River Rock Restaurant and Marina

If you are a restaurant owner who has received the permit and are not included on this list, please email karen.wall@patch.com.

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