Musso & Frank Grill To Reopen – But Extensive New Rules Are On The Menu

Bruce Haring
·4 min read

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One of Hollywood’s favorite power lunching spots will reopen its doors on June 26, yet another spark in the revival of Hollywood after the three-month shutdown of most businesses.

The 100-year-old Musso & Frank restaurant will return with modified hours, and just showing up and expecting a table isn’t in the cards. Customers will now have to make online reservations prior to arrival using the mussoandfrank.com website. The restaurant plans to be open Tuesday-Saturday from 5 PM to 11 PM and Sundays from 5 PM to 10 PM.

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While the familiar confines will be open, there are plenty of new rules governing having a drink or a meal at Hollywood’s oldest grill.

The new initiatives include:

** Before guests arrive, they will be asked to check themselves for COVID-19 symptoms. If they display any symptoms, they will be turned away.

** In the parking lot, Musso and Frank’s will have an assisted parking system rather than its traditional valet. One of Musso’s valets will help guide customers where to park. The valet will not take possession of each customer’s car unless asked to do so.

** If a guest enters the restaurant from the front door on Hollywood Blvd., they can expect one of Musso’s hosts to help check-in while maintaining physical distance, and offering each guest a single use face covering if they do not have one. Each guest will also find a hand sanitizer station there.

** A manager will also greet each customer at the back entrance via the Cherokee Avenue parking lot, and will provide a single use face covering to a guest if he/she does not have one with them. The manager will explain to guests the general face cover requirement while in the restaurant. Each guest will also find a hand sanitizer station for use at the back entrance.

** Customers will only be seated at every other booth in the Old Room, and at every other booth and at tables placed six-feet apart in the New Room.

** No groups larger than six people will be seated or served.

** 60% of the restaurant’s capacity will be permitted to dine at one time.

** In addition to stations at the front and back entrances, hand sanitizer stations will also be located throughout the venue.

** Managers will be stationed at both entryway doors to ensure the proper flow of people and to make certain they maintain a distance of six feet from each other.

** Employees will have to fill out daily online questionnaires to ensure their health is up to par prior to their arriving at the restaurant; employees will also be temperature tested once they arrive at the restaurant.

** Only customers wearing masks will be permitted to enter the restaurant. Guests will be asked to wear cloth face coverings at all times when away from tables.

** Server assistants will lay out table settings (silverware, glasses, etc.) only AFTER each party has been seated at their table or booth.

** Only single-use menus, which will be printed daily, will be utilized. The menus can then either be taken home by customers as souvenirs or else they will be discarded.

** Bathrooms will be deep cleaned and sanitized every 30 minutes; social distancing will also be observed in both bathrooms.

** Musso’s air conditioning filters have been retrofitted to include hospital grade filtration.

Mark Echeverria, the CFO/COO and a fourth-generation member of the family of owners, said, “We are incredibly excited to see and engage with our friends again and to safely serve them after the challenges we have all faced over the past three months. Our managers have been working incredibly hard during this entire period to develop solid safety protocols which will be implemented on our first day back – June 26th. We are confident that when we reopen, our customers and our team members will be in a safe and healthy environment to enjoy the splendor of Musso’s that we have all missed over the past three months.”

The new Musso & Frank private dining rooms will not be open until the end of the year, the restaurant said. Construction is ongoing in the rooms.

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