Unlike County, Outdoor Dining Permits Required for Town of Herndon Restaurants

Restaurants in the Town of Herndon must apply for an outdoor dining permit as Northern Virginia’s reopening today opens up the opportunity for outdoor dining.

The move comes as Fairfax County moved to allow businesses to offer outdoor dining without applying for a permit by expanding outdoors at 50 percent of their indoor capacity.

The temporary permit, which was created specifically to deal with the COVID-19 crisis, will allow Herndon restaurants to reopen and operate with outdoor seating if rules are followed.

So far, several restaurants have been approved for temporary permits. More are expected to be ready to go by the wekeend.

• Some conditions include:
• Fencing and barriers must be installed
• The area must be located next to or within 100 feet of the establishment
• The location cannot “significantly interfere with pedestrian traffic or otherwise constitute a health and safety risk”
• Hours of operation limited between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m.
• No pets are allowed in temporary dining areas

In some cases, outdoor seating may be allowed on town property. No more than ten patrons may be seated as a party.

Photo via Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern/Facebook