Kevin Queiroz for New Kingston Media
Outdoor dining guidelines still unclear for restaurant owners
New York State issued updated guidelines for outdoor dining earlier this month, but restaurant owners are continuing to call out the state to clarify the confusing rules, Gothamist reports.
The city’s guidelines previously stated that restaurants had to keep 50 percent of their outdoor space open to meet the requirements. Yet, the most recent update from the state outlines that restaurants were required to keep at least two sides of the outdoor structure open. Per the state’s definition, this means windows or cutouts on enclosed sides don’t actually count as adequate airflow measures for outdoor dining. Plastic bubbles, and sectioned-off enclosed spaces that have been appearing throughout the city, however, are allowed per state rules, as long as they accommodate just one dining party at a time.