Bobby Van’s owner Joseph Smith talks about Governor Cuomo’s plan to reopen restaurants in New York at 25% capacity.
A restaurant owner in New York criticized Governor Cuomo on Valentine’s Day for returning a covered dinner on Friday, arguing that New York is the “most poorly managed state in the country”.
Joseph Smith, the owner of Bobby Van’s Steakhouse, said during an appearance on the “Mornings With Maria” program that the 25% of indoor dining capacity starting today will do little to help struggling restaurant companies in the city.
“Give us the closing at 12 o’clock, give us the bar and give us 50% [capacity] so we can tie and possibly make up for the last year we’ve had, ”said Smith.
Smith explained that the success of the reopening in other cities and even in neighboring areas of the state makes New York City look badly treated.
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He added that the city’s commercial districts were hit particularly hard, as a large flow of clients, such as legislators and Wall Street officials, only returned to offices with 10% occupancy.
In addition, Broadway and hotels in the area will not reopen until June, when vaccines are expected to be widely distributed, making it even more difficult for restaurants to retain customers.
Some restaurant owners have asked that frontline workers, such as food and beverage workers, be pushed to start vaccination in order to reopen their businesses in greater capacities.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo characterized calls for restaurant workers to be prioritized in the launch of the coronavirus vaccine in the state as a “cheap and insincere discussion” on Monday.
“Yes, I would like to see restaurant workers eligible – it makes perfect sense,” Cuomo told reporters. “But what does eligibility mean when you don’t have the necessary supplies?”
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Cuomo also noted that when adding a group to the list of eligible individuals, he would have to remove another group due to the limited supply of the vaccine.
Brittany De Lea of FOX Business contributed to this report.