88% of Oregonians Agree: Keep Indoor Dining at Restaurants

Poll shows the vast majority of people are relieved the Governor’s latest indoor dining ban has ended

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 7, 2021

Contact:
Greg Astley, Director of Government Affairs, ORLA     
503.851.1330 | astley@oregonrla.org

Wilsonville, OR– A recent poll shows, 88% of Oregonians say they should be able to make their own decision about dining indoors at restaurants as more people become vaccinated. This comes as Gov. Kate Brown ended her ban on indoor dining in 15 counties starting today.

“With Oregonians continuing to get vaccinated each week, my expectation is that we will not return to Extreme Risk again for the duration of this pandemic,” Brown said.

Polling nearly 1,000 Oregonians, between April 26 to May 5, 2021, 88% said they want the option to dine indoors as more than 1 million people have been fully vaccinated in the state. 

“It is clear Oregonians understand what is at stake for their favorite local restaurants,” said Greg Astley, Director of Government Affairs for the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. “We have 88% of survey respondents stating they feel they should have the choice whether to dine inside a restaurant or not right now. The sentiment against indoor dining closures at this stage is clearly reaching a feverish pitch.”

Oregon has already seen more than 1,000 restaurants close because of the pandemic recession. The reopening of indoor dining ahead of the largest sales day of the year – Mother’s Day – will hopefully help some local restaurants continue to survive during this tough time.

“These are the places where you’ve celebrated your birthday, had your first date, and enjoyed Mother’s Day brunch every year. More indoor dining restrictions would result in more permanent closures of these businesses that are part of the fabric of our lives and communities,” said Astley. “Now that everyone older than 16 is eligible, help us move away from future government restrictions by getting vaccinated. And please continue to support local restaurants this Mother’s Day by celebrating at you mom’s favorite place.”

The recent poll we announced today was authored by ORLA and promoted on OregonLive.com.

For more information on the efforts of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association please visit OregonRLA.org. 

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The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is the leading business association for the foodservice and lodging industry in Oregon, which before COVID-19 provided over 180,000 paychecks to working Oregonians.