Your Northgate plans have just been canceled.
As of 9 p.m. tonight, all bars and restaurant dining rooms in Bryan and College Station will be ordered to close in order to prevent the possibility of exposure to COVID-19. Additionally, public gatherings of 10 or more people are now prohibited, per CDC guidelines.
These orders will remain in effect until the declarations of disaster are lifted for the two cities.
Restaurants can still provide take-out, drive-thru, delivery and curbside options.
“The best way to protect the residents of Brazos County from COVID-19 is for restaurants to make these changes to their business model because they align with guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and by the Texas Department of State Health Services,” Bob Lamkin, environmental health manager for the Brazos County Health District, said in a press release. “In addition, bars, gyms, and other entertainment venues should also close at this time.”
These restrictions were agreed upon on March 18 by leadership from both cities in coordination with the Brazos County Health District and the Bryan-College Station Independent Restaurant Group.
“As ambassadors of the culinary culture of Bryan-College Station, it’s our responsibility to provide a safe and healthy environment for all residents. That includes our patrons and our staff,” Kristy Petty, representative of the BCS Independent Restaurant Group, said in the press release. “We understand that closing down the dining rooms is a prudent move to ensure that we can provide the safest kitchens to bring you food during this time.”
The BCS Independent Restaurant Group represents dozens of local restaurants that employ more than 1,000 workers that will be affected by these restrictions.
“We understand that these actions are painful to our business community, but we also know these actions work to help prevent the spread of this virus,” College Station Mayor Karl Mooney said in the press release. “Along with our partners in the community, we will be exploring all options for helping these businesses weather this unprecedented event.”
City of College Station spokesperson Jay Socol stated that these closures will not affect Texas A&M Dining Services.