Indoor Dining Banned in New York City, Restaurant Owners Protest

New York's Northwell Health Hospital Administers Covid Vaccines

(Photo : Getty Images/Mark Lennihan - Pool)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 14: Gov. Andrew Cuomo participates in a video conference call after a nurse is inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine, December 14, 2020 at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center, in the Queens borough of New York City. The rollout of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine, the first to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, ushers in the biggest vaccination effort in U.S. history.

The indoor dining industry in New York City is facing a dilemma. John Demos feels helpless upon seeing his empty dining room in the Cosmic Diner, having been a manager since the Theater District diner opened 15 years ago.

Indoor Dining Banned in New York City

According to Demos, the situation is hurting him inside, but there is nothing he can do to change the barring, reported NY1.

NYC closed indoor dining for at least two weeks on Monday as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surge. Restaurants currently fear they will never reopen their doors.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo spoke about the prohibition during a COVID-19 briefing, acknowledging there will be economic difficulties for restaurants.

The state's world-renowned restaurant industry is facing death by a thousand bureaucratic cuts, but it appears they are not going down without a fight.

Hundreds of restaurant workers, owners, and industry leaders protested in Times Square on Tuesday against Governor Cuomo's recent closure of indoor dining and demanded a bailout to salvage their living.

A New York City nurse was administered the first novel coronavirus inoculation in the stated and purportedly the United States on Monday. This served as a beacon of hope for the ailing US mecca almost 300 days following its first confirmed case. This came as indoor dining was shuttered again, and the governor is debuting new cluster zones. Both scenarios are stark reminders that the global health crisis at hand remains to be far from over.

The restaurant shutdown is a move that had been expected for weeks as local hospitalization rates continued to rise steadily. Despite the advance warning regarding an indoor dining suspension, restaurant owners are still processing how to thrive in this winter season.

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According to Jeffrey Bank, president of the Alicart Restaurant Group, "After investing money in upgraded air filtration, UV lights, plexi dividers, contactless equipment and so much more, it is just beyond frustrating to be shut down again and have to lay off our staff again. The real kicker now is you are laying off staff when there are no extended benefits and no $600 checks. Just like in 'Game of Thrones,' winter is coming and it is getting dark," reported Gothamist.

Cuomo was already aware that the timing was bad to prohibit indoor dining in NYC again starting on Monday. The two-week closure results in restaurant owners grappling with affording to keep their businesses open as workers face losing their jobs amid the holiday season.

The Times Square protest was overseen by the New York State Latino Restaurant, Bar, and Lounge Association. Footage from the event was posted to the Fox News Business YouTube Channel.

"This city is killing us. You're hurting a lot of New Yorkers. We've got to protect everybody, but we also have to understand that our restaurants are one of the most important avenues of small business in our city. So I say to the governor, I say to the mayor, get your act together now. We need our restaurants open now," according to Tony Herbert, a representative from the New York Multicultural Restaurant and Nightlife Chamber of Commerce, reported Newsweek.