New York City restaurants may face significant challenges in outdoor dining this season, with hundreds unable to serve alcohol due to a backlog in the permit approval process. The Department of Transportation has provided conditional approvals for outdoor seating; however, the State Liquor Authority might not accept these as valid, complicating operations. With only 42 approvals granted from over 3,500 applications, the process remains cumbersome, affecting restaurants' financial viability as alcohol sales are a significant draw for outdoor dining.
Hundreds of New York City restaurants face potential months of inability to serve alcohol outdoors due to permitting gaps, impacting their outdoor dining operations dramatically.
The Department of Transportation's 'conditional approvals' for outdoor dining are problematic as they may not be recognized by the State Liquor Authority, complicating the approval process.
Legal expert Joseph Levey emphasized the financial importance of alcohol service in outdoor dining, stating, 'It's just a disaster... That's where you make your money.'
With only 42 out of 3,500 applications granted full permits, the backlog has left many restaurants in limbo for the outdoor dining season.
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