Indoor dining is to recommence in New York City on Sept. 30, at 25 percent capacity.

 

On Monday, Sept. 14, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio held a virtual hearing with interested parties from the hospitality sector and signed the extension of two bills in support of New York City restaurants.

 

The first bill extends an existing ban on charging for unconfirmed phone orders until 90 days after restaurants are allowed to operate at a hundred percent capacity. The second extends an existing cap on fees that delivery apps can charge restaurants until 90 days after restaurants are allowed to operate at a hundred percent capacity.

 

“We know the restaurant industry in this City is crucial to all of us in so many ways,” the mayor said. “We understand how important it is to the future of our city. We understand the restaurant industry means livelihood for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. We also know that our restaurants are part of the heart and soul of the city, part of what makes this city so great, our culture, our flavor, our atmosphere, things people love about New York City.”

 

The mayor went on to say that part of what makes New York City the envy of the world is all the restaurants it has. “Right down to our neighborhoods, everyday New Yorkers have their favorite restaurants and their places they go regularly that really make them feel like home. So, we need to make sure that our restaurants are protected as we fight our way through this crisis,” he said.

 

The mayor referred to the existing restaurant revitalization program which has allowed for widespread outdoor dining in recent months and said it had been a great success, with 10,000 restaurants participating and over 90,000 employees getting their jobs back. “Indoor dining now will be at 25 percent capacity starting on Sept. 30,” he then added. “So, that’s another important step forward for the restaurant industry.”

 

New York City lawmakers are also contemplating allowing outdoor dining to continue indefinitely.

 

The mayor said that food delivery remained a huge part of what makes restaurants work in New York City, and is helping to keep people employed. He said delivery had built the bridge to the future so that restaurants could survive during the most difficult moments of the pandemic.

 

He thanked Corporation Counsel Jim Johnson, for his help on the bills, along with Director of the Office of Special Enforcement Christian Klossner, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Council Member Mark Gjonaj, who sponsored the extension of the ban on charging for unconfirmed phone orders, and who is chair of the small business committee. He also thanked Council Member Francisco Moya who sponsored the bill to extend the cap on fees that delivery apps can charge restaurants.

 

One person signed up for public comment during the hearing – Andrew Rigie, the Executive Director of the Hospitality Alliance. Rigie participated in a recent YouTube panel discussion in which he commented on the current state of the hospitality industry as well as his recommendations for its future. The discussion can be viewed here.