"For a city that practically invented cutting a rug between courses, New York has been living under a bizarre legal buzzkill: under state liquor rules, dancing is technically banned in many restaurants. You can twirl your pasta, but twirling your body? That's a regulatory gray area worthy of a sequel set in SoHo. That odd little relic may finally be headed for the history books."
"In her 2026 State of the State address this week, Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled a plan to loosen the rules that have long treated dancing like a dangerous ingredient. Her proposal would direct the State Liquor Authority to modernize the licensing process for establishments, including creating a new hybrid restaurant-tavern license that allows dancing by default. Right now, restaurants operate under a license that doesn't permit dancing at all."
State liquor rules currently treat dancing as prohibited in many restaurants, while bars and taverns may allow dancing only after explicit approval and community reviews. A proposal would direct the State Liquor Authority to modernize licensing and create a hybrid restaurant-tavern license that permits dancing by default, with restaurants able to opt in. Approved bars and taverns would automatically be allowed to host dancing under the plan, reducing community-board red tape. The city's 2017 repeal of the Cabaret Law removed a separate restriction, but state rules continue to limit dancing outside nightclubs. Industry groups support the reform as a way to align rules with contemporary nightlife.
Read at Time Out New York
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