Update: On July 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that due to rising COVID-19 infections, restaurants in Los Angeles County must discontinue indoor dine-in service for at least three weeks. 

Musso & Frank Grill has been closed since March, though the famed restaurant has continued to pay employees. (photo by Jon Paul Douglass)

Hollywood loves a great comeback story, and the reopening of the Musso & Frank Grill on Friday, June 26, promises to be a hit.

After a three month closure following a countywide public health order, the landmark Hollywood Boulevard restaurant is set to reopen. The Musso & Frank Grill celebrated its 100th anniversary last year. Mark Echeverria, COO, CFO, proprietor and fourth-generation member of the family who owns the restaurant, said one of the most important considerations was maintaining the dining experience offered to customers at the Musso & Frank Grill.

“We have been very careful to make sure the traditions that can stay in place don’t change,” Echeverria said. “For instance, that means that the menu is going to stay the same. We wanted to keep it original. A very important tradition for us is the food.”

Another tradition that will return is the focus on handcrafted cocktails, including Musso & Frank’s signature martinis – stirred, not shaken. The bar will remain closed for walk-up service, but guests can order their favorite beverages and cocktails to enjoy at tables.

The tradition of fine dining and personal attention will also continue, with the impeccably dressed maitre d’s, bartenders and wait staff ready to serve. Diners can expect to be taken care of in the same manner that has always been a hallmark of the Musso & Frank Grill, Echeverria added.

Musso & Frank will reopen for dine-in service with safety protocols in place. (photo by Tina Whatcott Echeverria)

Diners will appreciate changes intended to keep them safe and adhere to the restaurant’s guidelines established in response to COVID-19. Those begin before guests even enter the building. An assisted parking system will be used instead of a traditional valet service. The restaurant’s valets will guide customers to parking spaces but will not drive a customer’s car unless asked to do so.

All guests are asked to check themselves for symptoms of COVID-19 prior to arriving and to stay home if they are feeling or displaying any effects of illness. At the door, a manager or host will greet guests and offer masks, which are required to be worn at all times except when seated at dining tables. Hand sanitizer will also be provided at multiple locations in the restaurant.

The managers and hosts will ensure that physical distancing is maintained throughout the dining experience. Echeverria said the restaurant will operate at approximately 60% of the building’s normal occupancy, meaning there will be seating for 110 to 115 guests at a time.

Customers will only be seated at every other booth in the Old Room, and at every other booth and tables placed 6 feet apart in the New Room. Groups will be limited to six people. Server assistants will only lay out table settings, glasses and silverware after each party has been seated. Only single-use menus that are printed daily will be used.

The restaurant’s air conditioning filters have been retrofitted to provide hospital-grade filtration. Bathrooms will be deep cleaned and sanitized every 30 minutes, and social distancing will be required inside at all times.

Rigorous standards will also be in place for employees, who will be required to fill out daily online questionnaires to ensure they are healthy prior to arriving at the restaurant. Staff members will also have their body temperatures checked upon arrival.

Echeverria said although the restaurant was closed for three months, the staff was paid and employees are eager to get back business. He said it was a priority to make sure they were all well taken care of. Many have worked at the restaurant for decades, and frequently inquired about the well-being of regular customers in phone calls during the emergency, Echeverria added.

“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,” Echeverria said. “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 26. 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.”

Reservations will be required to dine at the Musso & Frank Grill, 6667 Hollywood Blvd. The restaurant will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m.

Echeverria said reservations for the reopening on June 26 were sold-out within hours, but he added that many spaces are available for the coming days. He encouraged people to call the restaurant or visit its website for information and to make reservations.