Restaurant owner warns if NYC doesn't allow indoor dining they 'may never reopen'
'The mayor has to open up his eyes... [and] see what's going on,' said Long Island restaurant owner Frank Borrelli
A Long Island restaurant owner warned on Tuesday that if New York City restaurants aren’t allowed to serve customers indoors until the fall then they “may never reopen.”
“If they didn’t let me reopen until fall or January we probably wouldn't be talking right now. My restaurant would be probably closed,” Frank Borrelli, the owner of Borrelli's Restaurant Cafe & Pizzeria, told “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday.
Last week, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the city will not proceed with indoor dining as part of its Phase 3 reopening as planned, citing surges of positive coronavirus cases in states across the country. In New York City, Phase 3 reopening started on Monday.
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De Blasio cited National Institute of Health Director Dr. Anthony Fauci’s warning earlier last week that the U.S. could see as many as 100,000 coronavirus cases a day if a current spike in cases does not subside.
De Blasio’s decision comes as states, including Arizona, California, Florida and Texas have paused or backtracked their reopening plans as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases has soared.
Meantime, last month Long Island restaurants were given permission to seat patrons indoors once again after more than three months of stay-at-home orders when the region entered its third phase of reopening.
Borrelli said when stay-at-home orders were in effect he stayed open for takeout only.
“I kept all my chefs and cooks on payroll,” he said.
He added that he “built a beautiful patio outside to seat about 40 people.” Borrelli said about three weeks after he started serving customers outside he was able to open his restaurant, which holds 200 people, to indoor dining at 50 percent capacity.
“Our tables are spread out six feet apart,” Borrelli said. “We’re wearing a mask, we’re sanitizing and [are getting] a great response from our patrons.”
“It's been working out great,” he added.
He went on to say that his restaurant, which has been around for 65 years, typically does “high volume.”
“We have parties, we have events going on and we do need 100 percent,” he said. “But we are open 50 percent so it's at least paying the bills.”
“We did get some loans, that’s helping us out,” Borrelli continued. “So hopefully the 50 percent will go to 100 percent shortly.”
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When host Steve Doocy asked Borrelli what his message is for de Blasio given he has paused indoor dining for New York City restaurants, Borrelli replied: “The mayor has to open up his eyes... [and] see what's going on.”
“Restaurants, we’re going by the rules, wearing masks, we’re sanitizing,” he explained. “He has to let us open our doors.”
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Borrelli added that "if someone’s breaking those rules and you have a bar that's overcrowded, restaurants that aren't… sanitizing, not wearing the masks, then you have the right to go and shut them down if the numbers are going up and people are sick and dying.”
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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