New Mexico restaurants can now offer outdoor and patio dinning starting Wednesday

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- Las Cruces-area restaurant owners applauded Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's Tuesday afternoon announcement to permit limited outdoor dining services for most of the state.

The state’s emergency public health order will be amended to permit outdoor dining beginning Wednesday, the governor said, with the exception of the northwest counties bordering the coronavirus-troubled Navajo Nation.

Dine-in services inside restaurants and bars remain prohibited for now, but Lujan Grisham said the state is on target for a June 1 reopening of eating in under occupancy restrictions.

"As restaurateurs in Doña Ana County, we are committed to providing a safe environment for our guests and employees. We support the Governor’s request to serve only take out and delivery until June 1st. We understand how important this request is to control the infection rate in Doña Ana County and are looking forward to safely serving our customers in our dining rooms and patios on June 1st," said a statement from a group of restaurant owners.

The owners included in that statement were listed as Marci Dickerson of The Game and The Game II, Ed Linderman of Village Inn & Corner Bakery, Russell Hernandez of Salud de Mesilla, Jerry Harrell of Double Eagle de Mesilla, and Tom Hutchinson of La Posta and Hacienda de Mesilla​.

Under the new order taking effect Wednesday, restaurants may offer dine-in service in outdoor seating areas at up to 50 percent of their outdoor area fire code occupancy.

The following stipulations apply:

• No dine-in service may be provided in indoor seating areas.
• Outdoor dine-in service may only be provided to patrons who are seated.
• Tables must be placed with at least six feet of distance between one another.
• No more than six patrons may be seated at any single table.
• No bar or counter seating is permitted.

Bars, which the state defines as food and beverage service establishments that derive more than 50 percent of their revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages, are not included in the order and may not operate outdoor or patio services.

You can read the entire order below...