Before COVID-19, closing time at an NYC bar or restaurant could extend well into the wee hours of the morning, but we haven’t seen those nights in over a year.
But now, Governor Cuomo has announced that all New York restaurants and bars can stay open until midnight, breaking the previous curfew of 11 p.m.
#BREAKING: Effective Monday, April 19, the curfew currently in place for bars & restaurants will be moving from 11pm to midnight.
The curfew for catered events will move from midnight to 1am.
— Archive: Governor Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 14, 2021
It comes at a time when NYC has a 5.30% seven-day average positivity rate, with over 5 million vaccine doses administered so far.
Andrew Rigie, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, a non-profit that represents and serves restaurant and nightlife establishments throughout the five boroughs, said he is glad about the news, but wants even more restrictions to be lifted in order to help save restaurants:
“The extra hour is good news for restaurants, bars and customers, but we still need a roadmap for when the curfew will be lifted like it has for other industries. The state also needs to lift the rule that prohibits customers from being seated to eat at a bar in New York City, and revisit removing the requirement that a food item’ be served with drinks.”
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