These Tri-Cities restaurants are reopening. They’re trying something different

Two Sterling’s Restaurants in the Tri-Cities have reopened their dining rooms despite state COVID-19 restrictions, saying they now qualify thanks to a new filtration system.

“No, we aren’t breaking the ‘law’ we have advanced air filtration and air flow and now qualify under the open air requirements,” said a post on the Sterling’s Queensgate Facebook page.

“We’ve been saying this for almost a year!!! You are safer here than you are at Costco. Our air proves it!” said the Wednesday post.

What’s not clear is if the state will object, and whether Sterling’s fits within a new set of guidelines that the state released this week on dining.

However, several other restaurants announced plans to reopen indoor seating under the new set of rules by rolling up their garage-style doors to let in the winter air.

3 Eyed Fish Kitchen + Bar on Keene Road in Richland posted on Facebook its plans to create “outside” dining indoors.

Silos Sports Bar & Grill is doing the same, opening for the first time in two months on Friday, Jan. 15. The West Clearwater Avenue restaurant posted plans for “open air inside seating at 25% capacity.”

And Barnard Griffin Winery in Richland is also rolling up a “wall” to seat people inside. “.... (N)ow we’re considered outdoor dining! ... come on by and sit with a roof over your head,” it posted.

Moonshot Brewing in Kennewick also announced a hybrid model starting Friday with their overhead door remaining open and Sage Brewing Company in Pasco said they were opening indoors as well.

Kimo’s Sportsbar and Brew Pub in Richland also announced it would offer indoor food and drink service starting Friday, but information was not immediately available about how it planned to meet state requirements.

It previously offered indoor service, but stopped when the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board said it would suspend its liquor license if it continued.

New state rules

Under the Healthy Washington — Roadmap to Recovery indoor dining is prohibited in Phase 1. The plan went into effect Jan. 11 with the entire state beginning at Phase 1.

Only when regions meet certain health metrics, will they be moved to Phase 2. The Washington State Department of Health will evaluate data and release updates every Friday.

However, according to the state’s clarification on open air and outdoor seating requirements, restaurants have multiple options that will allow them to open.

In two scenarios, open-air seating can include a structure with one or more permeable exterior walls, allowing outside air to easily exchange within occupied seating areas.

Examples include open bay doors, multiple open windows, screened openings, open tent panels or uncovered lattice. In those examples, carbon dioxide must be monitored to meet certain levels.

The guidelines specifically say a single window doesn’t count nor do open interior or entrance or emergency exit doors.

On Thursday, Sheri Sawyer, policy advisor to the governor’s office, told the Herald that the guidelines were developed in consultation from multiple state agencies as well as input from the wine, beer and hospitality industries.

“Filtering is only part of the equation,” she said. “One of the things we are trying to convey is air exchange.”

While Sawyer couldn’t comment on whether a specialized filtration system could qualify, she said she was not aware of any exemptions made for a similar setup.

She said that the Department of Labor and Industries ultimately would decide.

To achieve open air exchange, Sawyer pointed to the examples in the guidelines that include seating on sidewalks, covered patios, courtyards or similar settings, as long as permeable sides are limited to one wall and a cover.

Even entirely enclosed structures like domes or pods can be set up as long as only six people from a single group are using it at a time and it is disinfected and aired out between each use, according to the new guidelines that include diagrams.

A Sterling’s employee who answered the phone at the Clearwater Avenue restaurant in Kennewick said that they had no comment when the Herald asked to speak with a manager. A message left for the manager of the Queensgate restaurant was not returned on Thursday.

The Sterling’s on the River at 820 George Washington Way reopened for patio dining on Tuesday and it’s unclear if it planned to open indoor dining at that location.

In November, Sterling’s received a notice of violation from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board after it continued serving indoors under previous state restrictions. It closed rather than facing state fines and loss of its liquor license.

This story was originally published January 15, 2021 at 10:05 AM.