WALL STREET JOURNAL
Many New York City Restaurants See Halt of Indoor Dining as Death Blow
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s latest order to combat rise in Covid-19 cases places neighborhood restaurants in fight for survival, business leaders say
By Charles Passy
Last year, when chef Nahid Ahmed opened Luthun, his 28-seat contemporary American restaurant in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood, it was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Mr. Ahmed, who has worked in critically acclaimed establishments throughout Europe and the U.S., had long wanted to make his own culinary statement with an intimate dining spot that offered a refined tasting menu.
But with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement Friday that indoor dining in the city would be curtailed as of Monday because of the recent surge in the coronavirus pandemic, Mr. Ahmed, 48 years old, said that dream has been upended and he is likely to close his establishment—temporarily, if not permanently.
“Right now, it is really uncertain if we will come back,” he said shortly after the announcement from Mr. Cuomo.
The situation that Mr. Ahmed faces is one that is likely to be mirrored throughout the five boroughs. Most restaurant owners and operators say they were already struggling to rebuild their businesses after losses sustained from the springtime shutdown of dining. If anything, they were hoping the state would soon increase the citywide indoor capacity from 25% to 50%.
Now, they are back to zero. And while the city has given restaurants an easier pathway to offering outdoor dining through its Open Restaurants program, which was started during the pandemic, establishments say they are seeing patrons balk at sitting outside as the weather turns colder, even when heating elements are provided.
