Lee Announces TN Restaurants and Retail Locations to Reopen to the Public Next Week with Exception of Larger Cities.

Some Tennessee restaurants and retail locations will be open to the public beginning next week, but will be operating under guidelines in order to operate safely.

Governor Bill Lee announced today while discussing the state’s phased reopening, that beginning Monday, April 27th, restaurants in Tennessee will be permitted to operate dine-in service, operating at a lower capacity. Lee also announced that retail stores will be permitted to operate beginning Wednesday, the 29th.

Restaurants and retail locations will be permitted to operate under the condition they limit their typical customer capacity by at least 50%. Additional guidance will be released that these businesses must follow in order to safely reopen, claims the Governor, who stated additional announcements regarding the phased reopening of the state will come Friday.

Lee stated that the state hopes to see most businesses open by May 1st, “but not all.” These openings beginning next week will not apply to larger cities including Nashville, Memphis, or Knoxville where local leaders will determine their own phased reopening plans.