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| Susu at the Bowery Electric on April 30 |
Restaurant capacity limits in New York State will be lifted starting May 19, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo today. Restaurants can serve more people, as long as groups of seated patrons are either six feet apart or separated by five-foot partitions. The governors of Connecticut and New Jersey also announced similar easing of restrictions today, allowing for a blanket policy for the tri-state area.
In what may become a stepped procedure, Cuomo announced on April 30 that starting May 7, New York City restaurants will be allowed to operate at 75% capacity for indoor dining. This change brings the city's indoor capacity in line with the rest of New York State. Presently, restaurants are limited to 50 percent indoor capacity.
In addition to distancing and partitions, all other existing guidelines remain in effect. These include contact tracing, the wearing of face covering when not seated, enhanced air handling and building system standards, hand hygiene, and environmental cleaning and disinfection protocols. The New York State Department of Health reinforced many safety protocols in new interim guidelines issued today for New York City. Page one of the 20-page document says that "the City of New York will establish and deploy a team of 400 enforcement personnel to ensure businesses that offer indoor food services and dining in New York City comply with the State-issued requirements."
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| The David Kolker Band at the Bitter End on April 30 |
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| Barynya at the Anyway Café on April 30 |
"The tide is turning against COVID-19 in New York, and thanks to our increasing vaccination rates, as well as our successful, data-based regional approach, we're able to take more steps to reopen our economy, help businesses and workers, and keep moving towards returning to normal," said Cuomo at his press briefing today. "Thanks to the hard work of New Yorkers and our partners in government, we are now able to increase capacity limits for businesses, event venues and residences to reflect what we're seeing in the COVID data."
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| Strange Majik at Marshall Stack on May 1 |
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| Sid Simons of Girl Skin at Berlin on April 28 |
What Is the Reality?
Look around. Most indoor restaurants and bars long ago installed barriers between seating areas and squeezed in as many tables as logistically possible. The partitions and the social distancing have in themselves limited capacity more than any state regulations. Allowing for passageways, there is not much space left.
As per the governor's April 28 announcement, customers can sit bar-side starting today, as long as they are six feet apart. The state legislature also now allows customers to order alcoholic beverages without also purchasing food. Customers must be seated and socially distant to receive any service, however.
Pre-Covid, the Bitter End had a capacity of 230; moving tables away from the stage and setting tables where the standing room by the bar used to be has resulted in reducing the venue's indoor capacity to 53. The main room downstairs in the Bowery Electric did not have tables in the past and fit more than 200 people; now the venue sells 33 seats per show. The capacity at Berlin was 250; the venue now has 31 seats per show. Smaller venues like the 55 Bar and the Jalopy Tavern seat about 16 people per show. All of these venues lack sufficient floor space to add tables and chairs by any impressive numbers, no matter what increases in percentage the state government will permit. Until standing room is allowed to replace some tables and the distance between parties is reduced, today's easing of restrictions will not significantly increase capacity in many if not most bars, restaurants and entertainment venues.
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| What used to be a dance floor at the Bowery Electric is now tables, chairs, and partitions |
The end of curfews will help bars and restaurants, though, especially since subways will return to 24-hour service beginning May 17. The state will end curfews for outdoor dining areas beginning May 17 and for indoor areas beginning May 31. Both customers and staff will be able to stay out later without fear of losing transportation home.
Bars and restaurants that feature live entertainment typically must apply for a cabaret license. Throughout the COVID-recovery process, the state government has not clearly stated whether cabarets fall under the regulations for bars, restaurants, or small-scale entertainment venues. Today's updated guidelines did not mention small-scale venues. The word "cabaret" has not appeared in any governmental updates since the closures began in March 2020.
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| Ciro Patti at the Red Lion on April 30 |
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| The Black Soul Experience at Groove on April 30 |
Starting May 19, large-scale indoor event venues, defined as venues where the capacity is 1500 or more, can operate at 30 percent capacity, an increase from the current 10 percent capacity limit. Large-scale outdoor event venues, defined as a venue where capacity is 2,500 or more, can operate at 33 percent. Event venues, including concert venues, are restricted to 250 people indoors or 500 people outdoors. Capacity can be increased beyond those numbers only if all attendees over the age of four present either proof of full COVID-19 vaccination status or recent negative test result and the required social distancing can be accommodated. Social distancing, masks, and other applicable health protocols will still apply, including the requirement at stadiums and arenas of proof of full vaccination or recent negative test result from all attendees.
The gradually increasing capacities at arenas and stadiums has helped sporting events, which were able to take place without customers due to financing from broadcast networks. In contrast, no entertainment promoter has announced a willingness to stage concerts at reduced capacity. All announced concerts have been booked with the expectation that capacity will approach 100 percent by show time. That means that many of the concerts that were postponed from last year may be postponed until next year unless all seats can be sold. It may be a long while before concerts return to New York's larger clubs, theaters and arenas.
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| Bryan Stephens outside Café Wha? on April 30 |
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The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music developments as they happen. All photographs are by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise. For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music." For a listing of upcoming concerts for live audiences, visit The Manhattan Beat's May 2021 calendar.
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