BRYAN, Texas — This week, Gov. Abbott announced a complete rollback of statewide COVID-19 policies that are set to be implemented next Wednesday. The deregulations include a recension of a mandated mask policy, eliminating social distancing policies and allowing establishments to run at full capacity.
The decision has allowed local businesses in Brazos County to make their own decisions on whether they want to deregulate their own policy or continue to maintain their own mandate.
Here is a list on how local businesses will proceed moving forward and will be updated accordingly:
Dining:
- Casa Rodriguez:
Workers will be required to wear masks while the establishment won't enforce customers to follow the same guidelines. Their capacity will increase to allow 100%.
- First Watch:
Workers will be required to wear masks while the restaurant won't enforce customers to do the same. First Watch will also be removing COVID-19 related signage and increase its available capacity to 100%.
- Caffe Capri:
Workers will be required to wear masks while the restaurant won't enforce their patrons to do the same. Caffe Capri will still maintain social distancing guidelines as they have just installed dividers to help separate tables.
- Mad Taco:
Both workers and customers will have the option to continue to wear a mask beginning next week. The restaurant will also allow its available capacity to 100%.
- The Village:
The Village will require workers to maintain CDC recommendations of a mask mandate. The restaurant will also require customers to wear masks when not seated. The restaurant's capacity will remain at 75%.
- C&J BBQ:
The local establishment will require employees wear masks beginning this week and will encourage customers to do the same though they are not required.
- Yesterdays:
Yesterdays will still enforce a mask mandate for all employees though customers will not be required and have the individual choice to wear masks or not. The establishment expects to increase capacity to 100%.
- Lupe Tortilla:
The Tex-Mex establishment said it will continue to enforce mask mandates for employees and strongly encourage customers to follow suit though it will not be enforced.
The restaurant said they will continue to keep their capacity rate at 75% and will consider expanding it once they see fit.
- Hopdoddy:
The Austin native establishment has no updates on how they plan to move forward once the mask mandate ends this Wednesday. On their site, Hopdoddy adheres to local ordinances and requires customers to wear mask unless they are eating and drinking.
- Mo's Irish Pub:
The Irish themed pub and restaurant will adhere to Brazos County guidelines and mandates though at this time, Brazos County has made no county decision that would contradict the governor's mandate lift.
Mo's Irish Pub will host their annual St. Patrick's Day event and will check customer temperatures at the door, enforce social distancing and a mask mandate on March 13 and 17.
- Blaze Pizza:
The quick service pizza restaurant will enforce all employees to wear masks and will encourage customers to do the same. The establishment also plans to increase capacity limits back to 100%.
Stores:
- H-E-B:
The Texas grocery chain will require their employees to keep wearing masks at their locations and clarified on March 5 that customers are required to do the same.
The chain will also require their vendors and partners to wear masks when working with local stores.
- Kroger:
One of the biggest grocery store chains in the nation, Kroger will continue to require all customers and employees to wear masks at their locations.
- Target:
The major retail chain will still require customers and employees to follow CDC recommendations and to wear masks when at their establishments. Target noted that the only exceptions were young children or customers with underlying health conditions.
- Walmart/Sam's Club:
Following Gov. Abbott's announcement last week, Walmart did not provide any additional comment or updated policy on their mask mandate.
Last updated in July 2020, the chain requires all customers and employees to wear a mask.
