Mayor: Little Rock restaurants must shift to takeout, curbside pickup or delivery

Mayor Frank Scott Jr. (center) announces several actions the city will take during the covid-19 crisis at a news conference Monday at City Hall in downtown Little Rock. Video is at arkansasonline.com/317mayor/.
(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/John Sykes Jr.)
Mayor Frank Scott Jr. (center) announces several actions the city will take during the covid-19 crisis at a news conference Monday at City Hall in downtown Little Rock. Video is at arkansasonline.com/317mayor/. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/John Sykes Jr.)

Starting Friday, eateries in Little Rock must shift to only takeout or curbside pickup service, Mayor Frank Scott Jr. announced Thursday. All dine-in options will be suspended.

This mandate is the city’s latest effort to stem the spread of covid-19, following a nightly citywide curfew of midnight to 5 a.m. that began Wednesday.

The new rule, which applies to restaurants and bars, takes effect Friday at 8 a.m. Scott said the city will evaluate the mandate every two weeks.

[Video not loading above? Click here to watch » https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtHkwWHTeHc]

“This decision did not come lightly,” Scott said.

Additionally, gatherings inside restaurants are restricted to 10 people, following guidelines from the White House.

Due to the impact the measure could have on restaurant owners, Scott said the city is temporarily changing zoning ordinances to allow restaurants to serve as specialty grocery stores and boutique food markets.

Read Friday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

Upcoming Events