Villa Rica Mayor Gil McDougal signed an executive order today which establishes guidelines and best practices for the restaurant industry to comply with the governor’s executive order, which allows these establishments to begin to resume operations April 27. In an effort to assist restaurants with responsible social distancing compliance, the order includes an innovative Temporary Outdoor Restaurant Operations Permit which allows the use of tents and parking lot areas for seating, where they might not otherwise be permitted by City code.

“We as a City cannot mandate anything more or less than the state’s order, but we can make the best of our situation. For the next 90 days, Villa Rica will embrace alfresco dining. With this executive order, restaurants have a unique strategy they can utilize to reopen, yet do so responsibly,” said Gil McDougal. “For those that can’t or won’t, I strongly recommend that all businesses utilize the recommendations of the Board of Health and the CDC, even though the State of Georgia requires less.”

The Temporary Outdoor Restaurant Operations Permit can be submitted via email, and there is no cost to the restaurant. Under the permit, restaurants can utilize 10-foot by 10-foot tents in their parking lots to meet the spacing requirements for up to 90 days.

“Villa Rica was one the first cities to declare a state of emergency to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Now that the State of Georgia has enacted a statewide mandate to reopen businesses, this clarifying language and executive order gives restaurateurs solutions as we collectively fight to contain the coronavirus,” said Mayor McDougal.