Restaurants in New York began to host guests in their halls

Since September 30, restaurants in New York have resumed indoor service for the first time since the quarantine began. But will it save one of the sectors of the economy hardest hit by the pandemic? The edition writes about it Gothamist.

Now restaurants have the right to receive visitors indoors, subject to a number of conditions. For example, halls can be no more than 25% full, visitors must maintain social distance and wear protective masks when not sitting at a table. This was announced during a press conference by the mayor of the city, Bill de Blasio.

Nidia Marino, manager of Mexican restaurant Mezcals in Park Slope, welcomed the change. She said that serving clients on the terraces in the summer was difficult "because of the heat, the need to wear masks and gloves." The fact that restaurants have been allowed to serve guests inside halls again is a sign of the city's return to normalcy, she said. “Let's see how it goes,” said Marino. - We are just getting started (serving guests indoors. - Ed.). "

On the first day of the Mezcals restaurant only one visitor decided to dine inside. It turned out to be 45-year-old South Slope resident Matt Koval. He said that he only came because it was the first day that restaurants were allowed to receive guests in the halls. Moreover, the weather was cool enough to dine on the terrace. Koval noted that the restaurant had taken "great precautions" so that he felt safe.

His friend, 42-year-old Jerry Houser, hopes "this will last longer." “I want to believe that we will not plunge back into something bad. So I enjoy it while there is such an opportunity. It's nice to be in a real restaurant again and see it from the inside. It has been a long time since I did this, ”he said.

One of the obstacles to opening restaurant halls in New York was the issue of compliance with safety rules. As a result, the city decided to involve 400 inspectors who will monitor compliance with these rules by institutions.

The mayor noted that inspectors will initially focus on the "hot spots" of the spread of coronavirus - Brooklyn and Queens, where alarming trends have been observed in recent days. “There will be a very strict review, we will be careful to ensure that each restaurant follows the rules,” promised Bill de Blasio.

If the restaurant exceeds the permissible occupancy rate of 25%, the employees of the institution will walk without protective masks, and visitors will not drink alcohol at the tables, but at the bar counter, this will lead to a fine on the institution.

The city's mayor explained that the goal is not to close restaurants, but to ensure that they reopen safely, especially in Brooklyn and Queens, where the virus has re-recorded. “We want to support the food service industry, but it must be done safely,” said Bill de Blasio.

Some restaurateurs are introducing even stricter measures to make their guests feel more comfortable. Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group partnered with CLEAR, an identity company, to implement a new employee health screening process. When they come to work, they must pass temperature control and scan a QR code to share the result.

Many restaurants have accepted that the number of tables to accommodate guests will be limited. French restaurant Bouillon Marseille in Hells Kitchen, Singaporean - Laut Singapura in Flatiron, Indian - Rahi in West Village and all three Socarrat restaurants will provide about 18 seats each in their halls. The rest were even less fortunate. Crop Circle in Greenwich Village will be able to offer guests a total of four seats. And Carmine's, located in Times Square, is not opening at all, because "there are no theaters or tourists in this area, and many businesses are closed."

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The NeGril BK restaurant on Fifth Avenue can seat about 22 people. This was told by Malissa Brown, co-owner of the establishment. For the safety of customers, we installed plexiglass partitions, put disinfectants on every table, added a menu with a QR code and much more. “We plan to open tomorrow,” Brown said. “We have no choice. We can serve visitors on the street, but we must be sure that we will have a source of income on days when the weather conditions worsen. "

Its employees are still worried about how they will now work. Because, one way or another, visitors will have to get up from their tables to visit, say, a restroom. And it is unclear how to ensure their safety in such a case, without disrupting the pleasant experience of dinner. Still, Brown says it's better than not being able to work at all. “So we are absolutely grateful for that,” she said.

Other establishments are implementing their own security measures. The Aquavit restaurant in Midtown offers 42 seats inside. To prevent the spread of the virus, it is planned to use HEPA filters, ultraviolet lamps and ionization solutions.

Luthun restaurant in the East Village will install partitions to complement the open kitchen design so that "guests can still watch their food being prepared without fear of infection."

And while many New Yorkers will rejoice at the opportunity to revisit one of their favorite venues, the city's mayor is in no rush to follow suit. He says he will continue to "enjoy outdoor dining while the weather is fine." “Personally, I prefer to dine outdoors while it's available,” he said. “I think there are a lot of people out there who would love the opportunity to dine indoors. If you have the resources, please come out and support our restaurants today, whether outdoors or indoors. "

But not only Bill de Blasio is in no hurry to go to dinner at a restaurant. Many of New York City's top restaurant critics, including the editors of NY Times, Eater, Grub Street, Time Out & Taste, are not prepared to dine indoors while the city is at the epicenter of the pandemic.

Also, not all townspeople are ready to return to their usual way of life. Bushwick resident Christina Loiacono was invited to dinner at Bar Basic on Seventh Avenue on Wednesday, September 30th. But she was not ready to accept this invitation. “I’m not very comfortable going into a restaurant if there are a lot of people,” the 26-year-old admitted. "I want to be respectful of the waiter and the other people around me, so when someone comes up, I'll have to put on a mask."

On the subject: Without a menu and with partitions: how New York restaurants will work after a pandemic

Restaurateurs and industry experts say the partial opening of restaurant halls is not enough to offset the incredible damage COVID-19 has done to small business owners. Especially in the current environment, when many people are not ready to go to dinner at a restaurant.

A recent report found that nearly 90% of restaurants and bars failed to pay their rent in August in full, and another New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA) report found that two-thirds of restaurants in the city are likely to be will close by the end of the year without a comprehensive assistance package. This is why many entrepreneurs in the industry have called on Congress to pass the RESTAURANTS Act. It will create a $ 120 billion fund to help local restaurants and cover the difference between revenue from 2019 and estimated revenue for the rest of the year.

There are other encouraging news for restaurant owners. The mayor of New York said last week that restaurants will be allowed to serve diners on terraces all year round. Establishments will be allowed to place tables on sidewalks and curbs, set up tents and plastic domes, and use gas heaters.

De Blasio believes these outdoor restaurant programs "are a huge step forward, not only for the restaurant industry and the hundreds of thousands of people who work in it, but for the city as a whole." “This is a new approach that will make this city a better place,” the mayor said.

The day before, during a debate, he tried to comment on the statement of US President Donald Trump about New York: “Some people like to say that New York is a ghost town. I would encourage these people to go see the outdoor dining tables reserved throughout the city that are in high demand, ”said Bill de Blasio.