NYC Restaurants Get Creative as Indoor Dining Ban Looms
New York City restaurants are getting creative as they prepare for another indoor dining ban through the winter as coronavirus cases spike again.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned restaurants on Monday that indoor dining, which reopened at 25 percent capacity in September, would likely be closed again if the number of coronavirus hospitalizations does not stabilize in the next few days, the New York Post reported.
“There are certain absolutes, OK? What is the absolute here? You cannot overwhelm your hospitals. You can’t be Italy,” Cuomo told reporters Monday.
“If you are at a rate that is going to overwhelm your hospitals, you must shut down.”
The Democratic governor added that the “CDC has targeted indoor dining as a spreader” and that the ban could begin as soon as next week if things continue downhill. On Friday, Cuomo confirmed that indoor dining would be banned in the city starting Monday, according to The Associated Press.
Restaurants that have a rooftop, backyard, sidewall or street not blocked by a fire hydrant are spending a lot of money to remake their outdoor spaces into cozy winter dining areas in order to keep their doors open.
Spiro Menegatos has spent $120,000 winterizing the 1,000-square-foot garden area at his upscale Greek restaurant Nerai.
The renovation included building plexiglass windows, a large wooden pergola and hiring electricians to hook up heaters to keep the space well-lit and warm.
“We thought maybe we’d get lucky and have a mild winter, but we had some cold days in November and we knew we’d have to do something,” he told the New York Post.
“If the city closes indoor dining, this is the only way we will be able to survive the winter. Deliveries aren’t even close to viable.”
Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge at the Moxy Times Square hotel has turned its outdoor space into an “après-ski”-themed lounge with a retractable roof, electric fireplace and heaters.
Fig & Olive had to close its Midtown location because it didn’t have an outdoor space, but turned its Meatpacking District location into a winter wonderland.
The restaurant’s tables are each now covered with plastic igloos and fur throws are draped over the seats.
“Having outdoor space is helpful but you still have to be creative and there is still a cost,” CEO Alexis Blair said.
“I think during troubling times there will always be a period of innovation and that is what is so amazing about the restaurant industry. It is filled with the most creative and resilient minds of anyone I have ever known.”
Even the restaurants with small budgets are spending thousands to renovate any outdoor space they have.
“Everyone is trying to grab as much outdoor space as they can — even from their neighbors,” said restaurant consultant Rick Camac.
“And if you don’t have outdoor space, you are out of luck. Many restaurants will be dropping like flies, unless more federal aid kicks in.”
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