NYC Coronavirus: What’s The Difference Between Inside And Outside Dining?
Starting Monday, restaurants in New York City will no longer be able to provide dining to customers. When Coronavirus first struck, the bustling food industry in NYC was blindsided just like the rest of the country. For restaurants, they had to reduce their menu and staff to fit the new “Take Out Only” rule. What that did was make owners change plans on the fly and for the most part, it worked.
During the summer, the outside dining worked pretty well. Tables were placed on sidewalks and customers were able to enjoy their meals in the presence of nice weather. But this is NYC and 75-degree weather does not last long. So, here we are in December, and Governor Cuomo has shut down indoor dining again which forces restaurants to either close their doors or make outlandish adjustments.
When I say outlandish, I really mean stupid.
The stupidity is not on the restaurants, it’s based on what the State Officials are asking. Their thought process is by closing indoor dining, it will slow the spread of Covid. Maybe that will work and as a chef in Manhattan, I get what they’re saying. However, I get confused when they say we can keep outdoor dining. My issue is, what’s the difference?
A customer comes into the restaurant to eat, they take off their coat, sit down then remove their mask. Now, with outdoor dining, they will do the same, right? The issue for me is that the outdoor dining area may be in a tent that is smaller than a regular restaurant dining area. So, that means the chances of spreading the virus are increased in a smaller environment. So, what’s the point of keeping outdoor dining open and indoor dining closed?
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Nevermind the financial hits everyone will take, that’s for another article. This is about keeping people safe. If they’re worried about the indoor environment and the spread, there is no way that being outdoors in a confined space is going to make a difference. If you do away with indoor dining then you must take away outdoor as well. If it’s about the safety of the people, then why say one option is better than the other when the latter is obviously just as dangerous if not more?
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
