The Mark’s outdoor tent covering Zadig et Voltaire’s storefront at East 77th St
When Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the Open Restaurants initiative in June, allowing customers to be seated in temporary curbside encampments, restaurateurs across the city rejoiced.
Having suffered through months of closures since March, restaurant owners were struggling to hang on, so they flooded the streets with tables, chairs, umbrellas and signage — and, in some cases, even more creative “streeteries.”
Even after indoor dining was reintroduced in September, it could only operate at 25 percent capacity, meaning outdoor dining continued to be the driving force for bringing in customers. Tables were suddenly surrounded by heaters, which then were enclosed by tents, which later became full-blown structures.