San Francisco restaurants, cafes, and bars that serve food can begin indoor dining service starting Wednesday at 8 a.m., Mayor London Breed and Dr. Grant Colfax announced Tuesday.

“Thanks to everyone in our City acting responsibly and doing their part, we can take another step towards reopening and beginning our recovery,” Mayor Breed said in a statement. “This year has been incredibly hard on our residents and small businesses, so every step forward is critical to making sure they can survive this pandemic.”

On Tuesday, San Francisco moved into the less restrictive red tier as part of California’s color-coded reopening guideline after assessing a decline of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations throughout the city. Mayor Breed and Dr. Colfax stated that cases have waned since the holiday surge that peaked in January.

Now in the red tier, San Francisco restaurants can welcome customers back for indoor dining service at 25% capacity with some limitations. Indoor dining must stop by 10 p.m. and there should be no more than four customers per table that should be within the same household. San Francisco will also lift its nighttime hour restriction on outdoor dining that will now allow restaurants to continue service past 10 p.m.

“We are grateful that the Mayor, Dr. Philip, Dr. Colfax, and the Department of Public Health will allow San Francisco to follow the state's tier regulations, which will allow the reopening tomorrow of indoor dining at 25% as well as some relaxation of the regulations around outdoor dining, particularly the removal of the city's curfew for outdoor dining,” read a statement by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association.

The GGRA added that it was pleased restaurateurs were given advanced notice by the city on its plans to reestablish indoor dining about a week prior to March 3, since it helped allow business owners to prepare and “be able to bring back staff in a timely manner.”

During the Tuesday press conference, Mayor Breed and Dr. Colfax stated that COVID-19 cases in San Francisco have averaged to 67 per day, which is about the same number of cases recorded around mid-November, just before the surge. They added that at this time, more than 20% of San Franciscans have received the first dose of the vaccine, including 65% of persons over 65.

“We know how to slow the spread and save lives,” Dr. Colfax said in a statement. “As we continue to gradually reopen we need to be aware of the risks and to stay vigilant, especially while vaccines remain limited and the growing presence of more contagious variants pose an increased risk of greater community spread. We encourage everyone to take the opportunity to get vaccinated when and wherever it is offered. Until it’s your turn, practice physical distancing, avoid indoor gatherings with people outside your household and wear your mask over your nose and mouth.”

The GGRA urged restaurant owners and locals to continue to follow guidelines to prevent more restaurants from temporary or permanent closure.