Per Governor Phil Murphy’s Executive Order No. 183, indoor dining may resume on Friday, September 4 at 6:00 AM, provided businesses comply with the health and safety standards issued by the Department of Health.
Under the Department of Health’s Health and Safety Standards, food or beverage establishments offering in-person service must adhere to the following protocols, among others:
- Limit the number of patrons in indoor areas to 25 percent of the food or beverage establishment’s indoor capacity, excluding the food or beverage establishment’s employees;
- Limit seating to a maximum of eight (8) customers per table (unless they are from a family from the same household) and arrange seating to achieve a minimum distance of six feet (6 ft.) between parties;
- Require customers to only consume food or beverages while seated;
- Require patrons to wear face coverings while inside the indoor premises of the food or beverage establishment, except when eating or drinking at their table;
- Food or beverage establishments with table service must require that customers be seated in order to place orders;
- Food or beverage establishments with table service must require that wait staff bring food or beverages to seated customers; and
- Keep doors and windows open where possible and utilize fans to improve ventilation.
For a copy of Executive Order No. 183, please click here.
For a copy of the Department of Health Executive Directive, please click here.
For a copy of the Department of Health’s Health and Safety Standards for Indoor Dining in Restaurants, please click here.
If you feel a Middletown food or beverage establishment is not adhering to health guidelines, please email covid19@middletownnj.org so the situation can be investigated.