ROME, NY – The Palisades Hotel in Rome is offering indoor meals on Thursday nights only to customers who show their Covid-19 vaccination cards.
The Palisades Hotel, which normally accommodates 50 people but can now serve 25, is also open for internal dinners for anyone on Friday and Saturday nights. But Thursday nights will be reserved for vaccinated dinners.
Richard Ferrucci, one of the owners of the restaurant, said that the special night starts today at 5pm. The plan is to continue on Thursdays.
The idea came after diners started asking if they could reserve a table for a group of people who had been vaccinated, Ferrucci said. The owners started thinking and decided to open a covered restaurant the other night for those who received the Covid-19 vaccine.
“It’s a choice,” said Ferrucci. “If someone wants to dine indoors and feel more comfortable dining with other people who have the opportunity, this is what we are offering. So they don’t have to worry. “
Businesses are weak and that can help boost them, he said.
The restaurant was open for outdoor dining during the summer and then closed, except for delivery when the number of Covid boxes started to increase. Five weeks ago, Palisades started offering indoor meals two nights a week,
Ferrucci said the restaurant will still maintain the reduced capacity that it follows on other nights.
As for masks, Ferrucci said he is still researching whether the CDC guidelines that say vaccinated people can meet in small groups indoors without masks apply to restaurants. At this point, he said, customers will wear masks when they are not seated.
Announced on social media, the decision met with reactions from people who say it is discriminatory, but Ferrucci said people can come on a different night if they want to.
Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. Have a tip, comment or idea for a story? Contact her anytime at 315-470-3012 or email [email protected]