On Friday, June 12th, Texas Governor Greg Abbott will allow restaurants to expand to 75 percent capacity. It's welcome news for many owners in Houston who are trying to stay afloat.
Roughly three quarters of restaurants in the Houston area are back open in some capacity. Some of those never closed, offering carry-out or delivery service. However, Melissa Stewart, the Executive Director of the Greater Houston Restaurant Association, says reopening the heart of the restaurant, the dining room, is vital for business.
So it’s not only a matter of how many people can we bring into our dining rooms, but how many people are willing to come? We know that while there are quite a few consumers that are anxious to eat out again, some folks are just not quite there yet,” Stewart said.
She adds for the most part, local restaurant owners are optimistic. However, it might take a year and a half to two years before some will fully financially recover from the shutdown.