Everything You Need To Know About The Return Of Indoor Dining

Without any government assistance plan to fall back on, restaurant owners have been calling for the reopening of indoor dining for a while now. Although the current reopening plan is a start, many say that operating at a 25% capacity just won't be financially sustainable. "We are financially not viable at 25 percent capacity with no bar service and closed by midnight," Giselle Deiaco, owner of Northern Italian restaurant Avena, told Eater. "On the other hand, it’s a measured response to re-opening, with the public health in mind, to prevent a spike or second wave of COVID cases. As restaurateurs, we have to navigate these untested waters, still produce, to spur economic growth. I mean, we can’t stay at home forever. The economy has to go ahead. I mean, who’s gonna feed us?"

Roni Mazumdar of Adda and Rahi said, "We think it’s a move in the right direction but 25 percent is not a sustainable number. Need it around 75 percent to make the business work or some government program to subsidize. Otherwise we are back to square one."