TABC enacts emergency rules that allow bars to reopen as restaurants – even if they don’t have kitchens or cook anything. Here’s how.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commision (TABC) adopted emergency rules today that will permit many bars to reopen as restaurants during the current COVID-19 deep freeze. Food trucks and pre-made food items can now qualify a bar for a FB license, which allows a bar to reopen but limits the allowable percentage of sales that can be derived from alcohol.

The Texas Restaurant Association says it helped drive the changes, which:

• Removed the commercial cooking equipment requirement,
• Allows businesses to bring in and count commercially pre-packaged food items, and
• Allows businesses to partner with food trucks and include food truck sales towards their 51% calculation.

The new rules became effective today.

Texas bars and restaurants must still adhere to TABC’s other guidelines and follow all COVID-19 restaurant protocols.