restaurant

Darna Lounge Owner Pushes Through Slow Recovery from COVID-19

By Vernon Miles
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There was a moment when Ahmad Ayyad, owner of Darna Lounge at Virginia Square, was sure COVID-19 was going to kill him.

“When I went to [Sibley Memorial Hospital in D.C.] and they intubated me and I woke up in Baltimore at [Johns Hopkins Hospital],” Ayyad said. “I had this tube and all these things connected to me. I texted my best friend ‘I think I’m going to die.'”

In March, Ayyad was starting to feel weak and a little under the weather when talk of COVID-19 spreading across the United States was just starting. With no coughing or fever, Ayyad said at first he thought it was just a cold, but after a few days he found that he wasn’t getting better.

“I went to the hospital just to get medication, then I went to Sibley and they put me in and the next thing you know, it’s oxygen and they might have to put you into a coma. And at that point, you’re like ‘What, woah, me?'”

Ayyad said he was one of the first people in Hopkins with a confirmed case of COVID-19.

“I was a guinea pig,” Ayyad said. “They didn’t know much of what to do with me about how to help me. They didn’t really have the knowledge that we have now.”

As he was lying in the hospital, Ayyad said he not only had to tell his parents what was happening but had to warn them away from coming to the hospital to see him in what might have been his final hours. Even after the disease has passed, Ayyad said that’s the part that still haunts him. Ayyad said he still thinks of what his parents went through: crying themselves to sleep and waking up at 6 a.m. to call the doctor just to hear that Ayyad is still stable.

“The hardest thing was hearing what my parents went through,” Ayyad said.

Meanwhile, Ayyad said being in quarantine inside the hospital was a lonely and isolating experience.

“You’re kind of, like, stuck on an island by yourself and you have no one to talk to or encourage you, anything to feel like you have someone on your side,” Ayyad said. “You’re just stuck in the room.”

Recovery for Ayyad has been slow, especially for someone who said he took a lot of pride in being in shape. Even over a month after his release, Ayyad said he still suffers shortness of breath when he works out. Progress has been a slow build: from moving around on a walker to walks around the neighborhood and eventually to weight training.

Ayyad, a fitness buff and marathon runner, lost 60 pounds and much of his muscle tone while in the hospital.

“My determination has never been higher,” he said. “You look in the mirror and see the COVID in your body. I’m determined to get my body back to what it looked like before.”

(more…)

The Curtain May Have Fallen on Stageplate Bistro

By ARLnow.com
1/2

It appears that Stageplate Bistro in Ballston may have taken a final bow.

The restaurant at 900 N. Glebe Road was well reviewed but struggled to attract customers to the western side of the busy street since opening in 2017. It took a brief intermission in 2018 but reopened, before closing temporarily again earlier this year.

“We had to close to regroup to come back better than ever,” general manager Mary Marchetti said in February. ARLnow reported that Stageplate, which gets its name from its owners’ entertainment industry catering experience, was “planning for the reopening to coincide with the first day of spring on March 21.”

Then, of course, the pandemic happened.

As of last week, the Stageplate Bistro logos had been removed from the windows, and a leasing sign was up. The restaurant’s website produces an error message and its phone number has been discontinued.

The tables remained set inside, however, waiting for diners that may not get a chance to dine there again.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Black Lives Matter Protest Held Saturday — “As protests continue around the nation following the death of George Floyd, the Black Parents of Arlington group welcomed families and neighbors on Saturday for a special gathering and vigil for the man who died in police custody in Minneapolis in May. Over 100 people gathered at Drew Model Elementary School, some bringing signs while others wore shirts and face masks showing support for the Black Lives Matter movement.” [WUSA 9]

Dorsey Discusses ‘Defund’ Demands — “‘We’re getting a lot of letters with the ‘defund the police’ calls,’ says [County Board member Christian Dorsey, on the WAMU Politics Hour]. He says that over the past few years, the police budget has only risen slightly above inflation. He said he’d be open to cutting tactical weapons and gear.” [Twitter]

Pentagon Entering ‘Phase 1’ Today — “Pentagon and Pentagon Facilities Employees: This Mon., June 15, begins Phase One of re-entering the buildings. Welcome back! Don’t forget your face covering and to social distance while inside.” [Twitter]

Current COVID-19 Hospitalizations Fall — “Fewer than 1,000 Virginians are now hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19, and the number of cases continued to slow both statewide and in Northern Virginia, according to reports Saturday morning. The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association reported only 959 coronavirus patients in state hospitals, the lowest number since the organization began providing data in early April… Only 342 of those patients were in Northern Virginia, down from a high of 818 on April 30.” [InsideNova]

County Expanding Free Wi-Fi Spots — “Arlington residents can now access free Wi-Fi in the parking lots of the Charles Drew Community Center and Barcroft Sports & Fitness Center as part of the County’s ongoing effort to help residents without reliable internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with these two new locations, public Wi-Fi is available via the ArlingtonWireless network in the parking lots at Aurora Hills, Central and Columbia Pike libraries.” [Arlington County]

PTAs to Distribute Face Masks — “County staff from a variety of departments packing up more than 4,300 cloth face covers for [Arlington Public Schools] PTAs to distribute to families. Face covering is required in Virginia public indoor spaces. ” [Twitter]

Restaurants Seek Expanded Outdoor Dining Spaces — “Arlington County has allowed 19 restaurants to add new space for outdoor dining or expand existing options, as part of the growing trend of shifting tables outside and allowing safer dining while the Covid-19 pandemic persists… Through June 9, the county has seen a total of 66 applications and approved just under a third of them.” [Washington Business Journal]

Photo courtesy Jean and James Knaack

‘The Renegade’ Hopes to Kickstart Live Music Comeback in Clarendon

By Vernon Miles

Mister Days replacement The Renegade (3100 Clarendon Blvd) didn’t have a lot of time to establish itself in the Clarendon nightlife scene before it was shut down by the pandemic, but the restaurant is making a comeback tour with live music.

With Phase 2 of Northern Virginia’s reopening starting today, The Renegade is opening to in-person audiences.

“Fans can watch bands live in person or online on The Renegade‘s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages,” the restaurant said in a press release. “All takeout and deliveries ordered during live shows will be 10% off and The Renegade will donate an additional 10% of sales during the show to the band and their Keep the Music Alive fund that supports local musicians, DJs and sound teams that have suffered during the pandemic.”

The next act lined up is local band Keeton, which is scheduled to perform tonight (Friday) starting at 9 p.m.

“We’re able to meet our guests wherever they’re at,” owner and chef Patrick Crump said in the press release. “If they’re ready for in-house dining and a show, we’re here. If they’d rather get takeout and watch the music at home, we make it happen.”

Currently, those in indoor public places in Virginia are required to wear masks.

The restaurant’s current hours are daily from noon to 2 a.m.

Photo by Zach Pearson

New Poll Finds Widespread Support for To-Go Drinks Post-Pandemic

By Vernon Miles

The cat’s out of the bag for to-go drinks with Virginians — and Arlingtonians in particular — expressing widespread support for keeping the practice around after the pandemic is over.

In a joint poll with the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging and Travel Association and the National Restaurant Association found that 78 percent of Virginians support making permanent current, temporary practices that allow restaurant customers to purchase alcoholic beverages with their takeout and delivery food orders.

“According to the recent data, customers are taking advantage of the order with approximately one in three Virginia adults who recently purchased takeout or delivery including alcohol with their order,” the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging and Travel Association said in a press release. “Additionally, 39 percent of restaurant patrons said the option of including alcoholic beverages with their order made them more likely to choose one restaurant over a competitor that does not offer alcohol sales.”

ARLnow’s own less scientific polling found that 91% of those who responded (2,839 people) were in favor of making delivery of alcohol permanent.

“The popularity of ordering mixed beverages to-go or for delivery shows that people want it,” said Sarah White, Operating Partner at Cowboy Café (4792 Lee Hwy) said in the press release. “We keep hearing from customers that it’s nice to order and enjoy a cocktail without getting dressed up and going to a bar. We keep hearing how happy they are to be able to relax in their own home and still feel like they’re receiving the full dining experience.”

Virginia allowed beer and wine to be delivered in March — relatively early in the pandemic — and eventually extended that to cocktails in April. Oklahoma has already made alcohol delivery by restaurants permanent, while many of the three-dozen states and territories that have allowed it temporarily during the pandemic are also considering making it permanent.

Staff photo by Vernon Miles

Numerous Restaurants and Other Businesses Listed for Sale in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

The pandemic has brought tough times for many local business owners. In some cases, it’s driving them to try to sell their businesses.

The website BizBuySell aggregates many business sale listings. In nearly every case, the name of the business and its exact location is omitted.

Reasons for selling, when provided, typically do not mention economic hardship, but more often involve the owner retiring or not having time to actively manage the business.

Here are some that are currently listed in Arlington:

  1. Established Retail Consignment Store — “Womens, gift and home consignment store for sale. This is a terrific time to transition into being your own boss! This is a successful, fully functioning consignment business ready for it’s next owner. The location is on a VERY BUSY street in an affluent neighborhood & has been operating as a consignment store for over 50+ years. “
  2. Massage/Skincare Business — “Average well over $250k NET profit per year! Business is fully staffed along with a management team with three years tenure. Average staff tenure is 4-7 years.”
  3. Pizza Restaurant & Bar — “Restaurant in a prime location of Arlington VA established in 2012. Semi absentee owned working around 20 hours per week. This restaurant will fit any concept. Excellent location for Italian concept. This restaurant has 2 full service bars and a total of 104 seats.”
  4. Italian Customer Favorite — “This family-owned restaurant has been in business for over 40 years in the center of Arlington. Restaurant has been totally renovated and maintained. Dedicated chef and staff that will remain with new owner, if desired. Equipment has been maintained and is in excellent working order. Seating for approximately 60+, including bar area. Great location in Arlington, VA, with on-site dedicated parking in the back.”
  5. Dry Cleaners for Sale, 1 plant, 1 pick up store — “Prime locations. Well established profitable business. Each 1600sf stores. 1-plant, 1 pick up store. Loyal customers. Owned since 1997 ( 23 years) Reasonable rent. High growth potential in booming market. Pick up store location only using about 60% of space.( could sublease other 40% to tuxedo rental for example ) Right cross street brand new apartment complex going to deliver soon.”
  6. Nail, Hair Salon and Spa — “Well established Spa serving a well-to-do community for 20 years. Grocery anchored shopping center. 11 massage rooms (2 for couples), 9 has water. 3 toilets, 3 showers, 1 sauna, 1 dry spa. Large spa but rent is very reasonable. Membership program, gift card sale available. Most staff will stay.”
  7. Fast Casual Restaurant in Prime Location — “High quality Asian street food concept in a prime location of Arlington VA. Starting a restaurant from scratch can cost you a ton of money and time. This beautifully built out restaurant can be yours at a very low cost. Fully equipped with high end equipment, furniture and fixtures. The current owner is ABSENTEE but does not have the time to watch over the restaurant anymore. With current annual sales averaging around $860,000.”
  8. Dry Cleaning Pickup Store — “This is a dry cleaning / alterations and tailoring landmark location, in the heart of Amazon Territory. In operation for over 30 years, the clientele is loyal, the rent is right and the price even better. The owner is retiring, but will stay on to help if needed.”
  9. Nice Ice Cream business in a high income area — “Unique and Very well established Ice Cream business in a very nice area surrounded by businesses and residentials. VERY high-income area with limited dessert choice. Seller’s initial investment was more than $350K about 1.5 years ago. High End Establishment. Great Reputation. Seller is looking for a experienced and passionate buyer who can utilize this business and location to make a very profitable business.
    Currently, this is a franchise business, but a buyer can keep this or put his/her own concept.”
  10. Coffee Shop in North Arlington — “Established Franchise coffee shop with kitchen located under a hi-rise residence building across the street from a government building and next to well known university in north Arlington. There is an indoor and outdoor seating, High quality relaxing atmosphere to enjoy coffee, paninis and pastries etc.”
  11. Fast Food in Popular Mall Food Court — “Low rent fast food restaurant in Arlington VA. This restaurant is located in a food court of a popular mall. This small restaurant serves sandwiches, Italian dishes and desserts. All furniture, fixtures and equipment are included with the sale of the business. The current owner has decided to start selling off some of his restaurants and semi retire to spend more time with family.”
  12. Japanese Restaurant — “Fast casual Japanese restaurant for sale in Arlington VA. This restaurant currently serves Japanese food and sushi but can be converted to fit most menus/concepts. Located in a shopping center on a very busy road. The current owner is ready to retire.”
  13. Trendy Clothing Boutique — “Trendy and well known and loved women’s clothing boutique. Fully stocked and and clientele of 800+”
  14. Thai or Other Concept Restaurant — “Well-established business (16 years) in top-rated food , excellent location in northern Arlington. can change concept if you wish to. Excellent location on a high traffic road, with favorable lease. Strong base of repeat customers, and experienced staff. Everything is already established for web presence, advertising, social media, and local and business marketing.”
  15. Successful, Well-Established Turn-Key Hair Salon with Nail & Wax Spa — “No expense spared in the Contemporary build out – hair salon recently built out approx. 4 years ago, and the nail / wax spa was just built out last year. Very Modern Design with an excellent layout. The hair salon is built out with a Reception area, 4 stylists stations, Shampoo station, Kitchenette and Restroom. The Nail & Wax Spa on the upper level is built out with 4 Manicure stations, 2 Pedicure Stations, Manicure drying station, Wax / Massage Room, Restroom with shower. Prime North Arlington Location in the affluent, sought-after Cherrydale neighborhood.”
  16. Highly Profitable Used Car Dealership — “Highly Profitable and very prime location auto used car dealership in Arlington for sale. The only used car dealer located in about 5 miles radius. The revenue of this business is strong and steady over the last decades and has an exceptional reputation in the are. The business has been generating over $6 million in sales/revenue on average.”
  17. High income hotpot restaurant — “Hotpot restaurant is a very famous Asian food service, more and more people with different cultures starts to love in the food. The restaurant has more high tech factors to support the business, the customer use Ipad and robot to order the soup base and protein food on site, and other side dish and vegetables are delivered by a conveyer chain. The location is great for the customers who are working, living and traveling in Arlington metro area, so the owner never concerns about the vacant tables. It’s normal situation when customers come in the dinner time, they have to wait 2 hours for a seat.”
  18. High Volume Restaurant & Bar — “Situated in the heart of Arlington, this profitable bar/restaurant provides an incredible opportunity for a restaurant operator to acquire an excellent location complete with all the equipment and top of line furnishings needed for a turn key operation. This restaurant comes with high quality and custom-built furnishings as well as a long-term lease with excellent options for this highly sought after and growing area. This restaurant has a total of 425 seats and over 50 hd tvs.”
  19. Fitness Spin Cycle Center with Two Locations — “Established 7 years this Cycle Fitness Center has 2 locations in the most desirable cities in the US. One location in NYC NY & the second location in Washington DC. Absentee owned & Fully Staffed with management for all the day to day operations. Their certified instructors are all Independent 1099 contractors. Each location has approximately 50 cycles and offer 4-9 classes per day. This cycle fitness center is performance-based & results-driven with optimal speed & resistance combinations available.”
  20. RESTAURANT & BAR Full Kitchen — “Currently open as a Restaurant and Bar. Huge potential for motivated and experienced parties to take over and convert to a Sports bar, Vietnamese, Chinese,Japanese, Italian restaurant, Hookah bar, or Bakery. Located in very busy corner location with a lot of foot traffic.”

See more Arlington listings here.

Delhi Dhaba Reopens with Traditional Indian Fare and a Three-Entrée Family Meal Deal

By ARLnow.com Sponsor
1/2

Every day for 29 years, Arlington’s venerable Delhi Dhaba Indian Restaurant has opened its doors on Wilson Boulevard and entertained grateful guests with authentic flavors transported from New Delhi.

But the pandemic finally put a temporary end to the restaurant’s whimsical philosophy of “khao, piyo, aish karo” — eat, drink and have fun.

There is good news for those who have missed the samosas, aloo tiki, butter chicken, lamb vindaloo and other longtime favorites: The owners have reopened in accordance to health and safety guidelines and are offering their traditional Indian meals on the spacious patio and for carryout.

As a bonus, Delhi Dhaba can sell their popular Indian beers — Taj, Flying Horse, Kingfisher and Khukuri — and other beverages to-go.

Even Delhi Dhaba regulars may not know what a “dhaba” is, but the word informs the philosophy behind the cooking. A dhaba is a roadside café, serving wholesome and hot Punjabi food to weary travelers in search of a hardy and inexpensive meal. That tradition continues, and has continued for nearly 30 years, at Delhi Dhaba. And they are very happy as a popular Arlington small business, owned by Arlingtonians, to open their kitchen once again.

The new “Family Meal” combination offers four samosas, two chicken entrées, a vegetarian entrée, two orders of naan and two orders of rice for $39.95, and is proving very popular as a carryout offering. As it should: It is one of the best deals in Arlington.

Delhi Dhaba is located in Courthouse at 2424 Wilson Boulevard and can be reached at 703-524-0008 or by email. Follow along on Instagram @delhidhabava.

Ben’s Chili Bowl Appears to Have Closed for Good in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com
1/5

One of the D.C. area’s most iconic Black-owned businesses has closed its Arlington outpost, seemingly for good.

The Ben’s Chili Bowl location at 1725 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn has closed. Its signs and much of its interior have been removed, and the phone line has been disconnected.

Ben’s has struggled amid the pandemic, though its D.C. locations — the original on U Street NW and, as of a few weeks ago, the newer H Street NE location — have been open for takeout and delivery.

No signs or social media posts about the Rosslyn location’s closure could be found. Attempts to reach a member of the Ali family, which has owned Ben’s since its founding in 1958, were unsuccessful.

The Rosslyn location was the first Ben’s Chili Bowl outside of D.C. not located in a sports stadium. It opened in 2014 amid much fanfare, including a ribbon cutting with Arlington County officials and the since-imprisoned Bill Cosby.

The closure — and removal of the restaurant’s panda statue — was noted on social media late last week.

Another Ben’s Chili Bowl location in Reagan National Airport closed during the pandemic, according to the airport website, though there is no indication that the closure is permanent.

Pupatella Searching for New Arlington Location

By ARLnow.com

Pupatella is looking to leave its original location in Bluemont and move elsewhere in Arlington.

The popular Neapolitan pizza restaurant said via social media that its landlord at 5104 Wilson Blvd is trying to raise the rent by 40%, despite the pandemic hurting its business and that of other restaurants.

The eatery — which recently opened a new location on S. Walter Reed Drive — asked its followers for suggestions of where to move. As of publication time, the Facebook post along has attracted more than 200 comments in a span of a few hours.

The restaurant’s owners tell ARLnow that they have been quietly searching for a new location since March, when their lease came up for renewal, and have not found anything yet. They “definitely want to stay” in North Arlington but are “getting very desperate and hoping that someone can help us,” wrote Anastasiya Algarme.

“I believe our landlord believes that because we have opened a new location, we must be very rich now and he wants to take advantage of that,” said Algarme. “A lot of times people that have not run restaurant businesses do not understand all the expenses involved, and they believe that if a restaurant that is busy, it must be swimming in cash. It is not true at all and the profit margins are low. Our landlord refuses to see our accounting books to understand.”

The landlord, who she did not name, might have reason to think Pupatella has some extra cash beyond the Bluemont location’s acclaim and success. In 2018 it was reported that the company had raised $3.75 million for a planned eight-location expansion. So far, only the South Arlington location has opened, though other locations are planned in the District and in Reston.

As for a potential new location, “our only requirements are some parking, and preferably a place that is a restaurant already to reduce our build out costs,” Algarme said.

“We definitely want to stay in Arlington and North Arlington specifically,” she added. “We’d be foolish to give up such a loyal following.”

Asked whether the social media post was, effectively, a negotiation ploy, Algarme insisted it was not.

“We doubt the landlord will see it,” she said. “He is 90 years old and says he does not use Facebook. Our lease was typed on a typewriter.”

Columbia Pike Businesses Say Outdoor Dining Vital to Survival

By Vernon Miles

As Arlington’s restaurants try to return to some semblance of normalcy during the first phase of reopening, some local restaurants are anxiously awaiting Arlington County approval of temporary outdoor seating permits.

Owners of two eateries along the Columbia Pike corridor, Ethiopian restaurant Dama Pastry & Cafe (1505 Columbia Pike) and Ididos Coffee and Social House (1107 S. Walter Reed Drive) said getting access to outdoor dining is a crucial part of getting business back to normal.

“We are just waiting,” said Hailu Dama, owner of Dama Pastry & Cafe, which has a small parking lot in front of the restaurant, located near the Air Force Memorial. “We applied for outside dining and are waiting for Arlington County. Once that gets approved, we’ll put up tents and have some small space on the side. So far, that’s what we’re thinking about.”

Currently, Dama said his small business needs the boost — opening up an outdoor space would expand their capacity at a critical time.

“It’s just been very slow,” Dama said. “We closed for about a month because of the employees and the whole situation. We reopened three weeks ago and it’s been picking up a little bit, but to get to the point pre-corona… it’s going to take some time.”

Mesfin Demise, a partner in Ididos Coffee and Social House said he’s similarly hoping outdoor dining can help boost slow sales.

“There’s been a little back and forth on outdoor seating,” Demise said. “That has not happened yet, it’s probably a day or two delay. Once we get that permit for temporary outdoor dining, then we should be really great.”

Ididos opened for takeout, Demise said, but as a coffee shop, business had really suffered.

“April was really bad, business-wise,” Demise said. “May picked up, but it’s not back to normal. It was about 20% down from where we used to be. It’s mainly because of the community that we were so close.”

Demise said Columbia Pike neighbors rallied to support local businesses during the pandemic, something for which he’s deeply appreciative.

“With the County approving, hopefully, we can do outdoor seating,” Demise said. “I think that will boost sales. I don’t want to say we’ll go back to normal, but right now it still hurts.”

Even with the permit, though, Demise said the state has still put limitations on outdoor seating that he said business owners should be the ones to set.

“Outdoor seating is 50% of indoor seating,” Demise said. “In our case, we have 13 seats allowed, so we can only do six seats outdoors. That limitation probably hurts, but it’s better than nothing.”

Demise said it took a lot of work, but he’s been able to keep most of his employees and adjust schedules to keep nearly everyone on payroll. He said he’s looking forward to being able to bring people to the restaurant to sit around.

“People loved to sit around the restaurant, so missing that was a big challenge,” Demise said. “Adjusting to simply pouring coffee or lattes and sending them to customers, that’s been very difficult.”

Staff photo by Jay Westcott

Virginia’s ‘Phase 2’ Reopening to Start Friday, But Will Exclude N. Va. for Now

By ARLnow.com

Virginia will enter Phase 2 of its reopening on Friday, but Northern Virginia and Richmond will remain in Phase 1.

Gov. Ralph Northam made the announcement Tuesday afternoon, saying that key health metrics point to it being safe to further reopen in most parts of the state. He did not, however, give a timeline for when Northern Virginia — including Arlington — would advance in its reopening. The region started to reopen this past Friday, May 29, two weeks after much of the Commonwealth did.

Under the Phase 2 guidelines, the allowed size of social gatherings will increase from 10 to 50, restaurants will be allowed to open indoor dining areas at 50% capacity, and fitness centers can reopen at 30% capacity. Under Phase 1 guidelines, both restaurants and fitness businesses can only serve customers outdoors.

Northam said delaying Phase 2 for Northern Virginia will “allow for additional monitoring of health data.” As of Tuesday, Arlington has reported 236 new coronavirus cases and 10 new hospitalizations over the past seven days.

More from a press release from the governor’s office, below.

Governor Ralph Northam today signed Executive Order Sixty-Five and presented the second phase of the “Forward Virginia” plan to continue safely and gradually easing public health restrictions while containing the spread of COVID-19. The Governor also amended Executive Order Sixty-One directing Northern Virginia and the City of Richmond to remain in Phase One.

Most of Virginia is expected to enter Phase Two on Friday, June 5, as key statewide health metrics continue to show positive signs. Virginia’s hospital bed capacity remains stable, the percentage of people hospitalized with a positive or pending COVID-19 test is trending downward, no hospitals are reporting PPE shortages, and the percent of positive tests continues to trend downward as testing increases. The Governor and Virginia public health officials will continue to evaluate data based on the indicators laid out in April.

“Because of our collective efforts, Virginia has made tremendous progress in fighting this virus and saved lives,” said Governor Northam. “Please continue to wear a face covering, maintain physical distance, and stay home if you are high-risk or experience COVID-19 symptoms. Virginians have all sacrificed to help contain the spread of this disease, and we must remain vigilant as we take steps to slowly lift restrictions in our Commonwealth.”

Executive Order Sixty-Five modifies public health guidance in Executive Order Sixty-One and Sixty-Two and establishes guidelines for Phase Two. Northern Virginia and the City of Richmond entered Phase One on Friday, May 29, and will remain in Phase One to allow for additional monitoring of health data. Accomack County delayed reopening due to outbreaks in poultry plants, which have largely been controlled through rigorous testing. Accomack County will move to Phase Two with the rest of the Commonwealth, on Friday, June 5.

Under Phase Two, the Commonwealth will maintain a Safer at Home strategy with continued recommendations for social distancing, teleworking, and requiring individuals to wear face coverings in indoor public settings. The maximum number of individuals permitted in a social gathering will increase from 10 to 50 people. All businesses should still adhere to physical distancing guidelines, frequently clean and sanitize high contact surfaces, and continue enhanced workplace safety measures.

Restaurant and beverage establishments may offer indoor dining at 50 percent occupancy, fitness centers may open indoor areas at 30 percent occupancy, and certain recreation and entertainment venues without shared equipment may open with restrictions. These venues include museums, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, and outdoor concert, sporting, and performing arts venues. Swimming pools may also expand operations to both indoor and outdoor exercise, diving, and swim instruction.

The current guidelines for religious services, non-essential retail, and personal grooming services will largely remain the same in Phase Two. Overnight summer camps, most indoor entertainment venues, amusement parks, fairs, and carnivals will also remain closed in Phase Two.

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