FAQ: What CT's new restaurant rules mean for you FacebookTwitterEmail Dorothy Agostino sets up a table inside the dining room of the Bedford Street Diner in Stamford, Connecticut on June 16, 2020.Matthew Brown / Hearst Connecticut Media Gov. Ned Lamont announced Thursday the state would remove most capacity restrictions for businesses this month, which raised a few questions about restaurant seating capacity, the current “curfew” or early closing time, and alcohol service. Here are some explanations to frequently asked questions surrounding the new guidelines. When do the new restaurant guidelines go into effect? These guidelines start March 19. In a call with the Connecticut Restaurant Association Friday, David Lehman, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, said the date was chosen with the state’s vaccine timeline in mind. They considered the fact that more than 90 percent of the COVID deaths in Connecticut were residents over the age of 55.