Restaurant owners can open up dining capacity to 100%, but many think itâs too soon
On Friday,
Gov. Hutchinson announced that the capacity directives placed on restaurants, gyms, salons, indoor and outdoor venues were being lifted and converted to public health guidelines. In other words, a restaurant can now fill up to capacity in spectacular pre-pandemic fashion. But weâre still in a pandemic, with a largely unvaccinated workforce of servers and front-of-house staff facing the public.
The governor said the mask mandate will stay in place through at least March 31, and he emphasized that the change in terminology â from directives to guidelines â does not mean that we should see drastic changes in behavior. In terms of businesses, he said, âTheyâre incentivized to follow the guidelines because it gives them business liability protection.â Meanwhile, a bill was passed in the Arkansas Senate that would return fines to businesses that were found t
Best Restaurants in Arkansas 2021
Best Restaurants in Arkansas 2021 Matthew Martin
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Arkansas Times’ Readers Choice restaurant contest. The issue went to press at a time when restaurants have, for just shy of one year, been faced with a pandemic and the necessary safety rules that have limited their customers. So, this year, we have a new category to join our traditional bests: Best Pandemic Dining. Our readers have praised Trio’s Restaurant and The Hive in Bentonville for keeping diners safely spaced. They’ve toasted Flyway Brewing and Superior Bathhouse Brewery in Hot Springs for their beer-to-go service. (A feature on Flyway, which also won Most Innovative, illustrates how it kept aloft.) They’ve recognized Star of India for its to-go packaging (and we give Sami Lal his due for his enduring success). Our readers found much to praise in restaurants from Fayetteville (Atlas and The Farmer’s Table Cafe)