Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
NYC Indoor Dining Goes Up To 35% Capacity On February 26th
By
Jen Chung
and
James Ramsay
Published Feb 19, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Andrew Walker/Shutterstock
By
Jen Chung
and
James Ramsay
Published Feb 19, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
New York City restaurants can increase indoor dining capacity to 35%, beginning on Friday, February 26th.
Governor Andrew Cuomo made the announcement during his Friday press conference, a week after he allowed indoor dining to return in the city (at 25% capacity) since it shut down in December 2020.
Indoor dining at 35% capacity now brings the city to the same level allowed in New Jersey, while in other parts of New York, like Long Island and Westchester County, restaurants are currently welcoming diners at 50% capacity.
Restaurants are required to follow many safety precautions in order to reopen for indoor diners. Experts, including the city's top public health advisor, Dr. Jay Varma, recommend those interested in dining indoors limit their group size and also see how well the establishment is following pandemic protocols, like the distancing of tables.
The city's restaurant trade group, the NYC Hospitality Alliance, hopes indoor dining can go to 50% capacity soon, noting that 140,000 jobs have been lost since the start of the pandemic.
Earlier this month, restaurant workers became eligible for vaccine appointments. Still, some employees are anxious. "I wish [Cuomo] would wait to see if our numbers rise at all, which we won't know for another three to seven days," said Rebecca, a server and bartender in Carroll Gardens who spoke to Gothamist after indoor dining re-opened last weekend. "Also, with so many in the service industry and other eligible groups still struggling to get an appointment for a vaccine, he needs to slow his roll."
Tagged
pandemic
indoor dining
restaurant
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
James Ramsay
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .