Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Outdoor Dining Will Be Allowed In Phase 2 Of Reopening
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jun 3, 2020
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 .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jun 3, 2020
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
On Wednesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that outdoor dining at restaurants will be permitted in phase two of New York's reopening. Originally, it was believed this would be part of phase three, when restaurants may begin to fully reopen.
While other regions of the state have already begun to reopen, New York City will be entering phase 1 on Monday, June 8th. If we continue on our current trajectory of decreasing the spread of COVID-19, we will be entering phase 2 around two weeks after that, towards the end of June. (Currently, we still have met five of the seven metrics to reopen.)
Per Cuomo's release today, the guidelines for establishments offering outdoor dining are:
- Outdoor tables must be spaced six feet apart
- All staff must wear face coverings
- Customers must also wear face coverings when not seated
That first point will be difficult in a city like New York; often outdoor dining takes place on crowded sidewalks. Even restaurants with outdoor spaces in the back will have to severely reduce capacity to get tables six feet apart.
The issue of how to handle outdoor dining – an integral part of bringing back restaurants and bars — has been hanging over the industry.
At the end of May, the New York City Council introduced new legislation that requires the Department of Transportation to identify open spaces around the city—including sidewalks, streets and plazas—which restaurants can use for outdoor dining. (Throughout the pandemic, the city has been opening more and more streets to pedestrians, closing them off to vehicular traffic.)
"New York will not be New York if we do not have restaurants and bars and an enlivened streetscape," speaker Corey Johnson has said, adding that this bill would create a temporary, fast and simple permitting process that would cut through red tape and allow establishments to "get back to business."
Today, Cuomo said, "COVID-19 is still a real threat and we're still battling it. I know it's not on the front pages today, but it is still in people and in society... 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."
Tagged
COVID-19
outdoor dining
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Sep 12, 2026
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
Is it worth the high price and ridiculous wait? Gothamist needed to find out.
By
Sonia Rao
Food
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
Is it worth the high price and ridiculous wait? Gothamist needed to find out.
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
Can a congressional candidate's dumpling diplomacy win over Queens’ immigrant communities?
By
Caroline Shin
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 .