Restaurants in the seven regions that have already entered Phase 2 — Capital Region, Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, North Country, Southern Tier and Western New York — can start to reopen for outdoor dining beginning Thursday, June 4.

Outdoor tables must be spaced 6 feet apart, all staff must wear face coverings and customers must also wear face coverings when not seated.

Until now, restaurants and bars have only been able to offer take-out services for food and drinks since in-restaurant service was prohibited starting the evening of March 16. Dine-in and on-premise dining and bar service is part of Phase 3 of the state’s reopening.

The restrictions were part of the governor’s lockdown mandates to slow down the spread of the coronavirus. He declared a state of emergency on March 7, and the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic on March 11.

As of Wednesday, more than 374,000 people had tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 24,000 people have died of the disease in New York this spring, according to the state Department of Health.

—

Reaction

Andrew Quinn, owner of Desperados restaurant in Lake Placid, said Wednesday afternoon that he was surprised and shocked by Cuomo’s announcement, and the governor didn’t give him enough time or guidance to open the following day.

“It would be nice to get a little time and regulations before we open,” Quinn said. “I have lots more questions than answers right now.”

Can a patron use a bathroom inside the restaurant? Does the staff have to take the temperature of all diners? Will his employees need to get tested for COVID-19?

Later in the day, the state posted interim guidance for outdoor and take-out/delivery food services during the COVID-19 public health emergency on the New York Forward website. It is located under guidance for Phase 2 industries as a pdf: https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/OutdoorTakeoutDeliveryFoodServicesMasterGuidance.pdf.

For now, Quinn said he will first paint the picnic tables he just bought and set up outdoor dining for people ordering take-out until he gets answers to all his questions. His restaurant has been successful at selling take-out five days a week.

“It might take a while to get all my Xes in a row,” Quinn said. “It will be very interesting to see how this plays out.”

Rob Kane, owner of the Great Adirondack Brewing Company in Lake Placid, said Wednesday that the governor should have made the outdoor dining decision weeks ago. 

“He’s flying by the seat of his pants,” Kane said. “This (New York State on PAUSE) has left a lot of small business people in danger of going out of business.”

The Great Adirondack Brewing Company has been offering take-out meals on weekends, and staff will be opening its outdoor dining section on the patio as soon as possible.

“We’re scrambling to get open,” Kane said. 

Still, seating diners at limited capacity is not good for business, Kane said, adding that “the fixed costs don’t go away.” In order to increase business, his staff is turning a dining room into a market where people can buy meals to go and local products.

“We should be open at 100% right now,” Kane said.