Although state health orders forced the closure of all outdoor dining service throughout California early last month, policy in Pasadena permits restaurateurs to maintain their outdoor seating arrangements — without wait staff service — for members of the public to use, leaving what some worry is a loophole in public safety measures.
While the practice of keeping outdoor furnishings out is allowed by Pasadena, only a handful of local eateries are doing so, according to city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian.
In early December, Pasadena, which has its own municipal health department and thus operates under its own health orders separate from the county, had allowed outdoor dining to continue even as Los Angeles County public health officials ordered it to cease in all surrounding cities.
But a statewide stay-at-home order that took effect on Dec. 6, as the COVID-19 cases spiked to unprecedented levels, brought an end to true outdoor dining in Pasadena.
“At this point, we’re allowing restaurateurs to keep their furnishings out, although few have done so, and under no circumstances is ‘service’ allowed,” city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said. “If the public sees any violations, we ask they call the Citizen Service Center at (626) 744-7311.”
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