The covered dinner resumed in New York City, almost two months after Governor Andrew Cuomo suspended the practice amid a second wave of COVID-19 cases.
On Friday, relieved restaurant owners were finally able to allow customers to return inside for the first time since December 13 – albeit with reduced capacity.
Currently, restaurants can only occupy 25% of their internal space – with many saying that they still won’t survive with three quarters of their tables empty.
Some are pressing Governor Cuomo to allow restaurants to operate at 50% capacity – an idea he says is open as long as the number of coronavirus cases continues to decline.
New York City is still registering thousands of new cases of COVID-19 a day, but the numbers are dropping slightly after a sudden increase after the holiday.
On Friday, the average seven-day COVID positivity rate for the Big Apple was 7.9 percent. Deaths and hospitalizations remain much lower than during the spring of 2020, during which time the city was the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic.
Governor Cuomo was initially prepared to reopen the covered restaurant on February 14, but decided to postpone the date by two days.
Starting on Sunday, restaurants will also be able to operate for another hour – closing at 11 pm, as opposed to the current mandatory time at 10 pm.
I will have what she is having! The covered dinner resumed in New York City, almost two months after Governor Andrew Cuomo suspended the practice amid a second wave of COVID-19 cases. Happy dinners are seen inside Katz’s Delicatessen on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, famous for being a location in the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally
A group of friends is photographed having lunch inside Dante, Manhattan, on Friday
Restaurants can currently occupy only 25% of their internal space – with many saying they will not yet survive with three quarters of their tables empty. Dante in Manhattan is pictured
Long live it! Anxious New Yorkers were photographed walking in happily for a drink at the Red Lion in Greenwich Village, after months of being left out on the snow-covered sidewalks
Customers were still separated by plastic screens inside Cafe Reggio in Greenwich Village in Manhattan on Friday
On Friday, anxious New Yorkers were photographed happily entering restaurants, despite the CDC’s claim that indoor dining brings a greater risk of spreading and contracting COVID-19.
Residents were eager to enjoy the heat of the restaurants after months of eating on snow-covered sidewalks in sub-zero temperatures.
On Friday, restaurant owners told local news networks that they hope to never close closed restaurants again.
“We hope this is the best, it’s here to stay now, light at the end of the tunnel, the vaccine is here, the numbers are falling,” a director of operations for a steakhouse in Manhattan told CBS2.
‘If it happens again, the devastation will be complete. It is so difficult to pay the bills just with outdoor tables. ‘
Last week, the NYC Hospitality Alliance welcomed Cuomo’s decision to reopen the in-house restaurant two days earlier, so that restaurants would maximize business on Valentine’s Day weekend.
‘We congratulate Governor Cuomo for allowing internal meals to resume in New York City on Friday, rather than on Sunday the originally scheduled date.
“This will allow restaurants to generate much-needed revenue from Valentine’s Day weekend deals, much of which they would have missed because the holiday falls on a Sunday this year.
The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce also liked the news.
‘Brooklyn restaurants and industry workers are surviving by a thread, and with COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations declining across the city, we are supporting Governor Cuomo’s decision to anticipate the safe reopening of highly regulated in-house restaurants and with 25% occupancy for the previous Friday Valentine’s Day.
“Many Brooklyn residents will now be able to celebrate the holiday at a restaurant earlier this weekend, providing a few days’ advantage for small businesses and workers struggling to earn a little more money to support themselves and their families,” Randy Peers, Brooklyn President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce told DailyMail.com.
Last week, the NYC Hospitality Alliance welcomed Cuomo’s decision to reopen in-house restaurants two days earlier so that restaurants would maximize business on Valentine’s Day weekend.
Governor Cuomo was initially prepared to reopen the covered restaurant on February 14, but decided to bring the date forward by two days. Starting on Sunday, restaurants will also be able to operate for another hour – with a closing time at 11pm, as opposed to the current mandatory time at 10pm.
The great interior! Customers enjoy the comfort of a cozy booth inside The Metro Diner on Manhattan’s Upper West Side on Friday
Table for two! Restaurants expect to have a busy weekend, as couples go out to celebrate Valentine’s Day. A couple was photographed eating at the Shuka in Manhattan
Outdoor dining options are still available, and many still choose to sit outside
