Rhode Island Restaurants Call For Indoor Dining June 1

PROVIDENCE, RI — More than 200 Rhode Island restaurants are calling for Gov. Gina Raimondo to allow indoor dining starting June 1. For now, restaurants are only allowed to offer limited, outdoor dine-in services only, though an expansion is expected in later phases, Raimondo said.

The Ocean State Coalition sent an open letter to patrons, signed by hundreds of local businesses, urging residents to support the push for indoor dining at the beginning of the month.

"On behalf of the hundreds of restaurants across the state of Rhode Island please let us begin by saying we deeply miss seeing you," the letter begins. "Our daily lives have changed so much in the last two months since restaurants in our state were ordered closed for dining in."

The restaurant experience is not just about eating a meal, the letter goes on, rather the full experience: bringing people together, spending time with family and creating memories.

"Restaurants support a tremendous amount of small, as well as large, businesses through our daily needs," the letter continues. "Up to 90 percent of the money independent restaurants earn goes right back into our communities, through payroll, vendors, rent and many more services. We know how much our restaurants are loved in Rhode Island as we have the most restaurants per capita nationwide. We offer a diverse, vibrant and delicious culinary scene that has become world renowned."

As is well-known, the restaurant industry has been one of the hardest-hit by the coronavirus pandemic, forced to close their doors to dine-in services and transition to takeout, delivery and curbside pickup only. Many businesses chose to completely close their doors for the time being.

"Takeout, delivery, and outdoor seating with reduced capacities will not sustain us for long," the letter said. "We are one of the most regulated industries for health standards and our goal has always been to exceed those standards for our guests. For this reason, we are asking you our guests to support us in our request for opening indoor dining by June 1, 2020. The very existence of what our restaurant community will look like depends on us being more creative than ever now. However, we must be allowed this opportunity to serve you to the best of our abilities within the new restrictions from the Department of Health."

Gov. Raimondo said that June 1 "is a fair ask, and one that I would like to make happen."

"It's consistent with what I've been saying," she said. "We're working like crazy to make it happen."