Reopening - Battling Back from Covid19, Update Post1

[bigwheelzip]

Having already transitioned his business to take-out service only, my brother was forced to shut down his NYC steakhouse and spend months recuperating, after becoming critically ill from Covid19.

He's back there again now, trying to restart the place. The new social distancing rules for reopening, limit occupancy to 25 percent of the previous maximum occupancy for indoor dining.
He already had sidewalk seating, but combined with indoors, it's still not enough to survive.

He is trying a new temporary option offered by the city to increase capacity, called "Street-side Seating". This scheme involves framing out the 10th Avenue street parking area in front of his business for dining tables. If this experiment is successful, he says it might keep the lights on until the pandemic ends.

He sent me these pics today to show the work in progress, and thought it unusual enough to share with y'all.

Update:
Wanted to share his progress with y'all, after speaking with my brother tonight. He's got the restaurant up and running at the permissible indoor 25 percent seating and the expanded outdoor seating section onto 10th Avenue.
Fingers crossed and knock wood, so far so good. He's keeping the tables filled and turning them, and the bar is doing well. He's hopeful now that with additional work and installing some radiant heating, he can keep the place going through the winter.

Thanks for your encouraging well-wishes.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I wish him luck!
We got 'Patio Seating ' here in Albuquerque that looks exactly like sitting in the parking lot.

 

[Absalom]

Good luck to him!

Starting in June, our city closed down the part of the main drag downtown with the most restaurants to vehicle traffic from Friday evening to Sunday, so they could set up outside on sidewalks and in the street for safer distanced dining. It was well-frequented and likely saved some smaller outfits which might not have survived the summer otherwise.

 

[vonn]

Hopefully innovative ideas can save some people who are really in a pinch until the virus is defeated but it may take time before it is defeated.

 

[wheelgun28]

That looks like an investment in itself. I wish him and all the others well.

The outdoor dining in this area (I'm an hour by train from GCT) has been good. Having protocols, distancing and dividers etc it has made the warm weather bearable. Last night already had a chill with a fall breeze. I am afraid outdoor dining only has a few weeks remaining around here.

I am not sure how well inside dining will go even with reduced capacity. Time will tell

 

[old bear]

This Just helps to prove," necessity is the mother of invention." I hope it works well for your BIL and every other inventor

 

[Murdock]

I'm glad he's recovered his health. Best wishes to him in his efforts to keep the business afloat. Somehow we'll find a way. We're all in this together.

 

[Onomea]

I recall your harrowing posts about his covid experience, 'Zip. It is good to hear that his recovery continues, and that he is well enough to try to recover/maintain his steakhouse. I wish him the best for success.

We've been out three times now in settings like that, sidewalk or street seating, though w/o roofs. Once just a coupla beers, twice for lunch. If social distancing is maintained, and the staff clearly careful about covid, it does feel reasonably safe. It is a real treat after these many months without the dining out experience.

 

[6518John]

For the first time ever, I wished we lived in NYC—we would eat there every time the doors were open to help out—and I don't mind a break from cooking occasionally! My son could probably eat him out of inventory.

 

[flagman1776]

That looks really nicely done. I hope it's enough.

 

[walkin jack]

Don't you just love the determination and spirit of the American people. This is the kind of thing that got this country going and kept it going.

I deeply admire your brother and wish him the very best of luck. He's paid his dues and deserves some success.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Update Post 1