In March 2020, West Virginia imposed emergency restrictions on restaurants, bars, and casinos as officials responded to the spread of COVID-19. Dining rooms stopped serving customers, while restaurants were permitted to continue preparing food for takeout, drive-through pickup, and delivery. The statewide restrictions also applied in Charleston and across Kanawha County.
The principal legal measure was Executive Order No. 2-20, issued by Governor Jim Justice on March 18, 2020. The order was one part of a broader emergency response that changed how residents ate out, how food-service workers performed their jobs, and how local businesses served their communities.
Historical notice: This article describes emergency measures and reopening steps from 2020. These restrictions are not current restaurant operating requirements.
Why Did West Virginia Restrict Restaurant Dining?
On March 16, 2020, the governor declared a statewide emergency as the new coronavirus posed an escalating public health risk. By March 17, West Virginia had announced its first confirmed COVID-19 case and state officials were moving to reduce situations in which people gathered close together.
Restaurants and bars were considered important settings for reducing close-contact interactions. Customers typically remained indoors to eat or drink, often spending time near other groups or staff. At that early stage of the pandemic, officials imposed restrictions designed to reduce opportunities for transmission while keeping certain food services available.
The order did not require every restaurant to shut its kitchen or stop selling food. Instead, it distinguished between eating and drinking on site and obtaining food to consume elsewhere.
What Did Executive Order 2-20 Require?
Executive Order 2-20 took effect at 12:00 a.m. on March 18, 2020, throughout all 55 West Virginia counties. It barred on-premises consumption of food or drinks at restaurants and bars, and generally prohibited members of the public from occupying these businesses except to collect takeaway orders. It also closed casinos to the general public.
| Business or Activity | Restriction in March 2020 | What Could Continue |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor dining at restaurants | Not permitted under the March 18 order | Takeaway, drive-through and delivery could continue |
| Bars | No on-premises consumption or general public occupancy | Takeaway options were subject to applicable licensing rules |
| Pickup orders | Limited customer presence for collection only | Separate regulatory guidance clarified pickup and payment procedures |
| Casinos | Closed to the general public | Closure was part of the same executive order |
Source: West Virginia Executive Order No. 2-20 and West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration advisory, March 18, 2020. These are historical measures and do not represent current restaurant operating restrictions.
Were takeout and delivery still allowed?
Yes. Restaurants could continue offering takeaway, drive-through, and delivery service. That distinction was central to the order: it sought to limit public gatherings without cutting off all prepared-food sales.
Restaurants still had to follow applicable food-safety rules and any other emergency requirements. For licensed establishments, the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration also issued guidance addressing the practicalities of pickup and temporary changes affecting certain off-premises sales.
Did bars and casinos face the same restrictions?
Bars were prohibited from hosting on-premises consumption. Casinos were required to close to the general public. Because alcohol licensing rules differ from general food-service operations, businesses needed to consider the applicable state advisory before offering alcoholic beverages for takeaway.
How the Restrictions Affected Kanawha County
As the state capital and a regional center for restaurants and hospitality, Charleston was among the communities affected by the March 2020 changes. The order was statewide; restaurants and bars in Kanawha County were subject to the same restrictions as businesses elsewhere in West Virginia.
Many food-service businesses faced a sudden need to reorganize service. Instead of serving customers at tables, operators had to rely on phone or online ordering, curbside collection, and delivery where available. These changes could affect staffing, scheduling, purchasing, and customer communication.
The consequences varied by business. Restaurants already equipped for delivery or drive-through service were in a different position from businesses primarily dependent on dining rooms. The original executive order itself does not quantify local revenue losses or job losses, so such figures should not be attributed to it without separate economic evidence.
How Did Restaurant Reopening Begin?
West Virginia did not return directly from the March closure to unrestricted indoor dining. Instead, the state introduced a phased reopening plan called West Virginia Strong — The Comeback. Officials published additional guidance at the end of April, and certain dining options reopened under conditions in May 2020.
| Date | Historical Development |
|---|---|
| March 16, 2020 | State of emergency declared across West Virginia |
| March 17, 2020 | Governor announced restrictions on restaurants and bars |
| March 18, 2020 | Executive Order 2-20 took effect at 12:00 a.m. |
| April 28, 2020 | State published guidance for takeaway service and outdoor dining |
| May 4, 2020 | Outdoor dining permitted under phase two, subject to safeguards |
| May 11, 2020 | State released further guidance for resuming indoor dining |
| May 21, 2020 | Indoor dining included in phase four of the reopening plan |
Sources: West Virginia Governor’s official COVID-19 response timeline and West Virginia Strong — The Comeback reopening schedule. These dates describe historical measures and do not represent current restaurant operating requirements.
Outdoor dining
Beginning May 4, 2020, the state’s second reopening phase permitted restaurants to provide outdoor dining under additional health precautions. This was a gradual expansion beyond takeaway service, not a complete removal of pandemic-related operating restrictions.
Indoor dining
West Virginia published guidance for indoor restaurant dining in May 2020 and included its resumption in phase four of the reopening plan, beginning May 21. Businesses reopening their dining areas were expected to comply with the safety measures in effect at the time, including spacing and sanitation requirements.
Because the rules evolved over the course of the pandemic, the March executive order should not be used as a complete description of every restaurant requirement that applied throughout 2020.
Why Restaurants Were Important to the Public Health Response
Dining restrictions formed part of a broader approach to reducing person-to-person exposure before COVID-19 vaccines were available. At the time, public health officials were seeking ways to reduce close contact in indoor settings while maintaining access to food and other essential goods and services.
These measures also illustrate a difficult policy trade-off. Limiting indoor gatherings was intended to protect public health, but it placed substantial operational demands on hospitality businesses and workers. Takeaway and delivery options helped preserve some level of food service, although they did not replace the normal dining-room business model for every establishment.
What Were the Rules for Customers?
During the initial restrictions, customers could purchase food through permitted takeout, drive-through, or delivery channels. They could not remain inside a restaurant to dine, and bars could not host on-premises consumption. Subsequent reopening guidance established conditions for the return of outdoor and indoor restaurant service.
The specific historical rules mattered to business operators, employees, customers, and local public health agencies responsible for communicating emergency measures. They also help explain why some restaurants changed hours, altered menus, or adopted new pickup procedures in 2020.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did West Virginia close restaurant dining rooms?
Executive Order 2-20 became effective at midnight on March 18, 2020. The governor had announced the restrictions on March 17.
Were all restaurants completely closed?
No. On-premises dining was prohibited, but takeaway, drive-through, and delivery operations were permitted to continue.
Did the order apply to Charleston and Kanawha County?
Yes. The executive order applied statewide to all 55 West Virginia counties.
When did West Virginia begin allowing dining again?
Outdoor dining was included in the phase that began May 4, 2020. Indoor dining was included in the phase beginning May 21, 2020, subject to the state’s reopening guidance.
Are these COVID-19 restaurant restrictions still in effect?
No. This article concerns historical emergency measures imposed in 2020. Restaurant operators should consult current state and local health and licensing requirements rather than relying on Executive Order 2-20 as present-day guidance.
Conclusion
West Virginia’s COVID-19 restaurant restrictions began at a moment of substantial uncertainty in March 2020. Executive Order 2-20 temporarily ended on-premises food and drink consumption in restaurants and bars, while allowing takeaway and delivery service to continue. The order also required casinos to close to the public.
For Charleston and other communities in Kanawha County, the restrictions reshaped how local restaurants operated and how residents accessed prepared meals. In May 2020, West Virginia began a phased reopening that introduced outdoor dining and then indoor dining under additional safeguards.
Remembering the timeline helps place the original emergency order in context: it was an early-pandemic response, not a description of today’s food-service rules.
Sources
- West Virginia Secretary of State. Executive Order No. 2-20 (March 18, 2020), official PDF.
- Office of the Governor. Executive Order Limiting Restaurants and Bars, Closing Casinos Statewide (March 18, 2020).
- West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration. Advisory Addressing Executive Order 2-20 (March 18, 2020).
- Office of the Governor. West Virginia’s Response to COVID-19: Actions and Executive Orders.
- Office of the Governor. West Virginia Strong — The Comeback, 2020 Reopening Plan.