MESSAGE
| DATE | 2020-07-02 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
|
| SUBJECT | Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Bars and resturants not reopening... maybe ever..
|
wsj.com
New York City Delays Indoor Dining Indefinitely
Stephanie Yang
6-7 minutes
Struggling New York City bars and restaurants were dealt a blow
Wednesday as officials delayed the start of indoor dining, citing
concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a press conference that indoor dining
will be postponed indefinitely due to rising infection rates in other
states, and a lack of compliance and enforcement of social distancing
within the city.
The third phase of reopening for the city is scheduled for July 6,
which had originally included limited indoor capacity for restaurants,
along with the restart of some personal care services such as nail
salons.
The rest of the citys reopening scheduled for Monday will continue as
planned, Mr. Cuomo said. Elsewhere in the state, indoor dining has
resumed as the areas moved onto advanced phases of reopening.
This is a New York City-specific issue, Mr. Cuomo said, adding that he
would like to see stabilizing infection rates in other parts of the
country, as well as better social distancing, before reintroducing
indoor dining. It will be postponed until the facts change and it is
prudent to open.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he would like to see stabilizing infection rates
in other parts of the country and better social distancing before
reintroducing indoor dining.
Photo: Byron Smith/Getty Images
James Mallios, owner of Amali Restaurant in Manhattan said he invested
$20,000 in safety renovations and another $10,000 in physical upgrades
in preparation for indoor dining. He said he also made two recent hires
and was processing the paperwork for another 10-15 employees before the
announcement Wednesday.
Im kind of gobsmacked by this, Mr. Mallios said. I was predicating
those decisions on the schedule that the state published."
Mr. Mallios said the location of his restaurant in a high-traffic area
only allows for about two seats outside. He is considering demolishing
a skylight in a back room of the establishment to accommodate open air
seating, but is worried that the reopening requirements will change
again.
George Constantinou, who runs three restaurants in Brooklyn and one in
New Jersey, said he was nervous about the addition of indoor dining,
since many of his former employees have been reluctant to return to
serve tables indoors.
I am a little relieved that its postponed so we can focus on outdoor
dining," Mr. Constantinou said.
Since the city started allowing outdoor dining, his restaurants have
added about 10-15 tables at each location, Mr. Constantinou said,
boosting sales by about 70% compared with delivery and takeout.
On Wednesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the city will expand
outdoor seating in lieu of adding indoor capacity, including outreach
efforts beyond the 6,600 restaurants that have already introduced
outdoor dining. It is the time to double-down on outdoor dining, he
said.
According to a survey from the NYC Hospitality Alliance, 36% of
restaurants and bars in New York City didnt pay rent in June.
Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Andrew Rigie, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, a
nonprofit association that represents restaurants and nightlife
establishments, said while the industry understands the need for
caution, restaurants and bars also will require financial assistance
for rent and reopening costs, as well as more outdoor dining options to
help offset their losses.
Many were hoping to reopen but there are also many concerns, said Mr.
Rigie. The only thing worse than restaurants not opening right away
would be for them to reopen and then shut down shortly thereafter if
theres a spike in Covid.
According to a survey from the organization, 36% of restaurants and
bars in the city didnt pay rent in June. Out of 509 owners and
operators surveyed, 90% paid half or less.
Government officials have expressed caution on the pace of reopening as
overall Covid cases continued to climb, and other states reverse or
pause reopenings. The U.S. has more than 2.6 million confirmed Covid-19
cases according to data from John Hopkins University, more than a
quarter of the global count. The death toll exceeded 127,000 as of
Wednesday.
Within New York, Covid-19 hospitalization rates have reached the lowest
five-day average since the beginning of the pandemic, Mr. Cuomo said.
The state has announced 14-day quarantine requirements for travelers
coming from 16 other states with rising infection rates, an increase
from eight states last week.
If you reopen too fast, whats going to end up happening is, youre going
to have to close, Mr. Cuomo said. That is going to be the worst
situation.
Write to Stephanie Yang at stephanie.yang-at-wsj.com
Copyright 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
--
So many immigrant groups have swept through our town
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