LAST-MINUTE SCRAMBLE
Local restaurants prepare to open outdoor dining areas with short notice
CAPITAL REGION, N.Y. » Outdoor dining is resuming among some local restaurants, as the Capital Region further reopens following state directives.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday that outdoor dining at restaurants will be permitted in Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan.
For the Capital Region and New York’s other six regions currently in Phase 2, outdoor dining was allowed to begin on Thursday, June 4.
The governor’s announcement specified that outdoor tables must be spaced six feet apart, all staff must wear face coverings and customers must also wear face coverings when not seated.
“COVID-19 is still a real threat and we’re still battling it,” Cuomo said in a press release. “But thanks to the people of New York and the nurses, doctors and essential workers, today we have the lowest number of hospitalizations ever and we have the lowest death toll ever. We are continuously evaluating activities that can be safely reopened,
and today we are adding outdoor seating at restaurants to phase two.”
Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce President Kate Manley said the Rensselaer County business community is pleased with the governor’s announcement permitting regional restaurants to offer outdoor dining to customers.
“As we enter the summer months, this is a muchneeded dose of good news for our local eateries who have been restricted to fulfilling takeout and delivery orders,” she said. “We are hopeful this amendment could pave the way for more businesses and industries in Phases 3 or 4 that could also be granted modified guidance to reopen ahead of schedule as our region continues to meet the required public health metrics.”
Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus views this new change as vital for lots of local businesses. “We believe expanding outdoor dining opportunities with proper safety protocols could save many of our restaurants,” he said.
While many see the announcement as good news, they also found it to be unexpected. With one day’s notice, some local restaurants weren’t ready to reopen their patios immediately on Thursday.
“The fact that local restaurants are now allowed by the governor to open for outdoor dining was a nice surprise yesterday,” Shimkus said. “But it is a little bittersweet in that local restaurants were given no time to plan. Some will be able to adapt right away, but not everyone can rehire their workers and get the supplies they need overnight.”
More outdoor dining will likely begin to open in the coming days and weeks, as restaurants get prepared.
Shimkus also mentioned that the New York State Liquor Authority appears to be offering restaurants a real opportunity to expand their outdoor dining options.
“But again, this will require restaurants to now get local approval to proceed and this too can take time. My hope is that local officials across Saratoga County will partner with their local restaurants to help them to take advantage of these surprise opportunities,” he said.
“We want our locallyowned restaurants to succeed and that’s why we hope to partner with local officials to expand outdoor dining as now allowed by the SLA and New York state,” he continued.
Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association President Deann Devitt thinks the outdoor dining change will mean increased sales for the entire downtown business community.
“Both downtown retailers and restaurants depend on each other to be successful. Truly, we are one cohesive unit. Both sides bring an amazing experience for our local community and our visitors. Opening patio dining alongside our retail stores, really brings the entire Saratoga Package together. Now people can shop and sit outside to enjoy a meal, safely,” she said.
Devitt believes the community must continue to be creative in finding ways to expand outside restaurant space while remaining safe and abiding by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.
“Now more than ever, we need to continue to bring people into our businesses and be able to serve them,” she said. “Together we will continue to watch our downtown thrive, even after this period of uncertainty.”
In downtown Troy, “There are some businesses that are planning to open with outdoor dining as soon as possible, but I think there are still other businesses that need to figure out what that plans looks like for them,” shared Downtown Troy Business Improvement District Executive Director Katie Hammon, who is also co-chair of the Economic Development Pandemic Response Committee of Rensselaer County and chair for the Community Activation Subcommittee.
For several weeks, the Community Activation Subcommittee has been creating a plan that will allow businesses to apply for use of public space, with a special event permit. Subcommittee members are working to finalize this program as quickly as possible, and predict the program would last through the summer and through Troy Restaurant Week in early September.
“We’re already working on it, so I think it makes sense that it’s there,” Hammon said of the state’s new outdoor dining allowance. “If businesses can take advantage of it - I think that’s amazing.”
Hammon thinks this is a helpful step in starting to build back much-needed consumer confidence. “It’s important to be able to start that process slowly and get people on board for reopening of restaurants,” she said.
“We are opening safely and we are encouraging business to do what is best for them,” Hammon continued, noting that each business has different needs.
Local businesses like The Whistling Kettle - with locations in Ballston Spa, Troy, and Schenectady were able to open their patios immediately. Wednesday’s announcement caught business co-owner Kevin Borowsky off guard.
“I wish we would have had more notice,” he said. Nevertheless, the company implemented some fast changes and opened their patios on Thursday. All three Whistling Kettle restaurants have remained open throughout the pandemic with curbside pickup and delivery. Now, the addition of outdoor dining is better than not being able to offer any on-premise dining options, said Borowsky, who hopes the next phase will start according to schedule.
The earliest that Phase 3 will begin in the Capital Region is Thursday, June 17.
“We’re preparing for it,” he said. “Having Phase 3 is obviously better than empty dining rooms.”
After starting a takeout program less than a week ago, Hattie’s co-owners Beth and Jasper Alexander didn’t think they’d hear that patio dining was permitted so soon. “That was a surprise announcement,” Beth said. “A little more of a heads up would have been nice, but in the grand scheme of things I am pleased about it
For this weekend, the Saratoga Springs restaurateurs decided to have tables set up for customers to eat their takeout in the adjacent alleyway, but there won’t be any table service yet.
Then, next week, Hattie’s plans to open both its alley and patio for dining with full table service.
“There’s a lot to figure out,” Beth said, mentioning that the restaurant needs to amend its staffing, layout, and reservation system before reopening for on-premise dining. “It’s very hard to figure out - but that’s what we have to do, we have to figure it out.”
Though they miss their guests and are eager to get back to somewhat normal, above all the Hattie’s owners want to reopen safely.
“Our priority is to keep our staff safe, to keep our customers safe, to have the COVID plan going forward so we can have protocols that we strictly adhere to,” Beth said. “We’ve all got to be very serious about that because you see what’s happening in these other states, where they’re opening the states up and they’re getting spikes in cases.
“We don’t want that in Saratoga. We want to do this slowly and smartly.”
Business owner Matt Finnigan of Carney’s Tavern in Ballston Lake said he will not reopen his establishment until all restrictions are lifted. He views the rule that staff needs to wear face coverings but customers do not as unfair.
“Why is it okay for patrons to not [wear] masks (other than the obvious) yet all restaurant employees must? So I can have 70 unmasked patrons eating, drinking, sneezing, coughing, laughing, etc. but myself and six employees must suffocate ourselves inside of a mask,” he said. “This is a ridiculous double standard!”
Clark House Hospitality businesses Little Peck’s and Donna’s Italian Restaurant have some tables available in front of the eateries on the sidewalk of Broadway in downtown Troy.
“That’s the plan for now until we increase capacity,” said owner Vic Christopher, adding that outdoor dining will be expanded into the property’s garden and patio area following the upcoming protests planned in the city.
Looking ahead, area business leaders hope the governor will soon release guidance for the Phase 3 reopening, which includes indoor dining, so local business owners can better plan for this new phase.
“It all depends on what the Phase 3 guidelines end up being, because there are a lot of things that are going to be needed of [restaurants] in order to open their indoor spaces, just because of the nature of the virus,” Hammon said. “So I think a lot of them are waiting, currently, for that information - but they’re in the process of purchasing thermometers and looking at their spaces in order to renovate them to work for what they assume is going to be the regulations.
“Stocking up on PPE, getting their safety plans in place, so that when they are able to open indoors that they can as soon as possible.”
With capacity limits anticipated, Hammon said the details of this factor will determine when it will be possible for individual businesses to make enough income to justify opening their doors.
Shimkus agreed, noting that the outdoor dining component will be important for restaurants. “If restaurants are limited to 50% of their seats inside or less with social distancing, it will be critical for them to have more seats outside. No business will survive if only 50% of their customers are allowed to return.”