You are reading

NYC Eateries Can Increase Their Indoor Dining Capacity to 50 Percent Next Week

Indoor dining (Photo: Queens Post)

March 10, 2021 By Allie Griffin

New York City eateries will be permitted to increase indoor dining to 50 percent capacity starting on March 19, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday.

Cuomo upped the capacity from its current level of 35 percent in a joint announcement with Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey. Murphy said New Jersey eateries would be allowed the same increase–to 50 percent.

Outside of the city, restaurants across New York state will be able to fill their dining rooms to 75 percent capacity starting March 19. Those restaurant are currently allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity.

“In New York State, our decisions are based on science and data and we are encouraged by the continued decline in infection and hospitalization rates,” Cuomo said in a statement. “In partnership with the State of New Jersey, we are expanding our indoor dining openings in New York City to 50 percent.”

New York City restaurant owners have been pleading with Cuomo to increase indoor capacity to 50 percent for weeks after he first allowed indoor dining to resume in the city at 25 percent capacity last month.

Since New York City indoor dining was reopened on Feb. 12, there hasn’t been a significant rise in infection and hospitalization rates, according to the state.

“We will continue to follow the science and react accordingly,” Cuomo said. “If we keep the infections down and vaccinations up, we will continue to stay ahead in the footrace against this invisible enemy and reach the light at the end of the tunnel together.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Superstorm Sandy-damaged home in Neponsit will finally be demolished after city finds it structurally unstable

Nearly 13 years after Superstorm Sandy crashed into the Rockaways, damaging or destroying nearly 1,000 homes and businesses along the 11-mile peninsula, a Neponsit house will be demolished by the city.

Council Member Joann Ariola has been working with the city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to deal with the blighted property at 148-16 Rockaway Beach Blvd. and received an important update on the project late last month.

Pheffer Amato reminds constituent families of free meals, distraction-free learning policies for new school year

As students head back to school, Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato is reminding families in her district of two major changes: every child will be eligible for free school meals, and mobile phones and smart devices will no longer be allowed during the school day.

The implementation of universal free meals for all schools, including nonpublic and charter schools, has been a focus for Pheffer Amato for years. During the 2025 New York State budget, she worked on the issue to ensure the state would give every school district, including New York City, the resources to make universal free meals a reality. Now, free breakfast and lunch will be provided to all school-aged children at all schools participating in the national school lunch and breakfast program, guaranteeing that every child will be eligible for health and nutritious meals.

Queens Together launches ‘Unofficial US Open Dining Guide’ encouraging fans to sample restaurants along the 7 line

Aug. 20, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

The US Open returns to Flushing Meadows Corona Park this Sunday, with more than 1 million attendees anticipated to take mass transit to the iconic annual tennis event. With hundreds of thousands of fans set to take the 7 out to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, there is a world of delicious local eateries lying beneath the elevated train tracks should any fan wish to stop en-route to the US Open.

Can Queens’ food scene thrive with both trucks and restaurants?

Aug. 19, 2025 By Jessica Militello

In Jackson Heights at 4 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon, Roosevelt Avenue is buzzing with energy as commuters file in and out of subway cars and onto the street and cars and trucks grapple to get down the busy road. The street is filled with rows of shops and restaurants, along with food carts, street vendors and food trucks along the avenue. The almost-but-not-quite the weekend lag leaves hungry commuters faced with another choice to make throughout their day and the array of food truck options in busy areas like Jackson Heights offers customers convenience and delicious food without breaking the bank, two features that can feel vital, particularly with rising costs of living and pressure from inflation.