Four Houston restaurants made the cut for the NBA’s list of approved dining establishments, which can be used by players and staff during the 2020-21 season. According to the league and the National Basketball Players Association, these restaurants can meet the league’s heightened health and safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Per ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz, the four approved options in Houston are Grotto; Mastro’s Steakhouse; State of Grace; and Steak 48. Of those four, two (Grotto and Mastro’s) are owned by Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta under the Landry’s, Inc. umbrella. Beyond Houston, Morton’s Steakhouse and Del Frisco’s Grille — which are also among the many Landry’s dining brands — are options in other NBA cities.
According to Arnovitz, these are the specific rules and regulations that those approved restaurants agreed to conform to:
The restaurant must have outdoor space or a secure private room that doesn’t share air space with the rest of the establishment. Servers must wear masks and faceguards, maintain a distance of 6 feet and be in the same room with players and coaches only when absolutely necessary. There must be a secure entrance and exit path to limit exposure to the restaurant staff and other diners.
Of course @kevinarnovitz would do a deep dive into NBA approved establishments for team dining, and of course, it’s fantastic. AK https://t.co/RJtvpuW5SR
— Kamenetzky Brothers (@KamBrothers) December 28, 2020
The complete list of NBA-approved restaurants can be found at ESPN+. For Fertitta, whose hospitality empire has taken a hit in 2020 due to the pandemic, the extra business from NBA visitors certainly can’t hurt.
The league also partnered with several of Fertitta’s restaurants during the summer for food delivery at the NBA bubble near Orlando.
