Outdoor dining changes in Westchester County
NEW YORK - Eager customers are more than ready for outdoor dining to return to Westchester County.
“We’re going to come back, see our friendly waiters and waitresses and the staff. We’re looking forward to having some good meals that are not in a plastic container,” Dorothy Botsoe of White Plains tells us.
For most restaurant owners, like Brian Mahon who owns Lilly’s in White Plains, that means it’s back to business, but not business as usual.
“We’re going to maximize the space here on the patio with social distancing, so people feel very comfortable when they come in,” Mahon says.
Lilly’s has room for about one hundred ten people on its outdoor patio.
There, you’ll find sanitizing stations, tables spaced at least six feet apart, and yellow markings on the ground to enforce social distancing guidelines.
You can even scan a QR code for a contactless menu on your cell phone.
“We already have 80 reservations for tomorrow night, so that’s a sign that people are dying to get out. They’ve had enough indoors,” Mahon adds.
A few miles away at Latin American restaurant, Donjito, owner Jack Rosado will be operating at a ninety percent reduced capacity and seating just six parties at a time.
He tells us the bright side is that it’s a lot better than being limited to takeout-only.
“Everyone’s gonna have a limit. We’re gonna give an hour limit to sit down, have big dinners, have their meals, whatever they’re gonna have,” Rosado says.
Both of the restaurant owners we spoke to say they’re welcoming customers from out of town, but they recommend that you make a reservation ahead of time.
Masks will not be required at tables, but they will be required when getting up and walking around or if you’re heading to the bathroom.