Effective March 17, 2020,  Gov. Gina Raimondo and state administration is mandating that all restaurants transition to take out and curbside pickup. Hotels will be allowed to serve guests via room service. Read the executive order here.

On March 15, 2020 the RI Hospitality Association (RIHA) Board of Directors voted to work with Gov. Raimondo and state administration on the “most effective and safe way” to temporarily close Rhode Island restaurants while working towards slowing the spread of COVID-19. The RIHA team sought to allow restaurants to offer delivery and curbside pickup, and to allow hotels to serve guests already in residence.

Dale J. Venturini, President and CEO, RIHA stated, “While this might seem like an extreme measure, several states including Massachusetts, Washington State, Ohio and Illinois have already enacted restaurant closures statewide with many other cities and states enacting significant restrictions on the hospitality industry. We all need to work together in this unprecedented time and a closure now will enable all of us to safely get back to work and back to normal sooner rather than later.”