After a six month ban, New York City will resume indoor dining at 25% capacity at the end of the month, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday afternoon.
After dramatic decreases in coronavirus cases, and increased restaurant compliance with coronavirus restrictions, NYC restaurants will be able to open their doors on Sept. 30.
It's a long-awaited announcement for the restaurant industry, which has been campaigning heavily for the state to allow the practice in the five boroughs. Before Cuomo's announcement, New York City was the only part of the state where restaurants could not host diners indoors and in recent weeks pressure has built from lawmakers, attorneys and industry groups for that to change. Advocates said an outdoor dining and takeout-only policy could not sustain restaurants into the winter months, with two thirds of them statewide already on the brink of closure, according to one recent survey.
"I understand the economic benefit and understand the economic pressure that they've been under," Cuomo said. "A restaurant is not just a restaurant owner. A restaurant is the kitchen staff, the waitstaff. There's a whole industry around restaurants and restaurants also pose a possible risk because of the concentrations of people inside. But there's also a great economic loss when they don't operate."
The green light to operate indoors comes with caveats. Restaurants will have to collect test & trace data from at least one customer at every table served, close bar tops for seating and perform temperature checks at the door. And the 25% occupancy limit differs from the rest of the state, where restaurants are able to operate at half capacity.
The quarter capacity limit caps the relief indoor dining can offer, according to the industry.
"I think it's a move in the right direction, but 25% is not a sustainable number," said Roni Mazumdar, owner of the restaurant Rahi in the West Village. Occupancy needs to be around 75% for business to work, he said.
Meanwhile James Mermigis, the attorney who filed a lawsuit on behalf of more than 300 restaurants against New York City for discrimination, said the occupancy limit was unfair.
"It is unacceptable that NYC is being singled out again," he said. "25% is unacceptable. NYC restaurants have tremendous overhead and cannot survive at 25% capacity," he said, adding that he's moving ahead with the lawsuit.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, who just weeks ago resisted providing a timetable for reopening at all, defended reopening with restrictions Wednesday.
"This may not look like the indoor dining that we all know and love, but it is progress for restaurant workers and all New Yorkers," he said.
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September 10, 2020 at 12:35AM
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Indoor dining will resume on Sept. 30 with heavy restrictions - Crain's New York Business
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