Mayor de Blasio today announced that outdoor dining will be permanent and year-round in New York City (insert cheers and applause), which is a huge benefit to restaurants already struggling to make it through and soon to be confined to 25% indoor occupancy.
Today's announcement also allows use of heat lamps to keep customers warm outside during the cooler months, and allows restaurants to utilize adjacent space where feasible so they can accommodate more guests and generate much needed revenue is a major step to rebuilding a stronger, more resilient and livable city.
“Outdoor dining has transformed New York City’s streetscape for the better and has been a critical lifeline for thousands of small businesses and jobs throughout the five boroughs during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Andrew Rigie, Executive Director and Robert Bookman, Counsel, NYC Hospitality Alliance, who advocated for this relief. "Today’s announcement to make outdoor dining permanent. We thank and look forward to working with Mayor de Blasio’s administration and the City Council on rolling out this incredibly important expansion of the popular Open Restaurants program.”
"Outdoor dining has been a monumental success for restaurants all around the New York City. Mayor de Blasio's decision to safely extend outdoor dining year-round, will not only provide a vital lifeline to our struggling restaurants, but will also enhance the vibrancy of our neighborhoods well into the future," said
Randy Peers, President & CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.