When Eugene and Co. reopened for indoor dining on Valentine’s Day, the new American restaurant in Bed Stuy was not the same bustling eatery it had been before the COVID-19 pandemic. At 25% capacity—the maximum allowed under Governor Andrew Cuomo’s recent executive order permitting indoor dining to resume in New York City—the intimate space can now host eight people inside at a time, in addition to the 16 who can be accommodated at heated tables on the curb.
“It’s not like it’s going to make a huge impact on sales and revenue but it is nice to sort of feel a little bit of presence and energy within the space,” said Tara Oxley, owner of Eugene and Co. After breaking even in the warmer months, the restaurant is again operating at a loss this winter.
Just to invite a small handful of diners back into the space, Oxley must comply with a long list of safety requirements put forth by the state. In addition to the limited capacity, restaurants have to check their customers’ temperatures, collect their contact information in case an outbreak occurs, provide personal protective equipment to employees, ensure tables are placed six feet apart, and ensure their air filtration and ventilation systems meet certain minimum standards, among other measures.
The tradeoffs between reviving the economy and maintaining public health sit at the center of the decision to reopen. But if you ask scientists for a guide to safely reopening, they’ll tell you that there’s no real consensus on what constitutes an appropriate level of in-person risk. Given the arrival of new variants of COVID-19 in the U.S., many infectious disease experts say it’s premature for restaurants to reopen for indoor dining at all.
Two scientists who spoke to Gothamist agreed and offered some loose tips on how to reduce the chances of catching COVID-19 while indoor dining. Much of their advice mirrored guidance mentioned Tuesday by Dr. Jay Varma, the top public health advisor for Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Varma suggested those who decide to dine indoors keep an eye on whether the restaurant they’re visiting is complying with the rules. They should observe how crowded the restaurant is, how far apart the tables are spaced, and whether employees are wearing their masks consistently and correctly. He also advised diners to wear masks when a server approaches the table and to avoid moving around the restaurant too much.
“Keep the size of your group small,” Varma added. “Consider limiting it to people only in your family or in your pod or bubble if you have one.”
The amount of crowding matters to Jeffrey Shaman, an infectious disease specialist at Columbia University. “I prefer 25% to 50% or 100% [capacity],” Shaman said. But he also acknowledged that “businesses are hurting right now.”
The New York City Hospitality Alliance has been lobbying for city restaurants to be able to open at 50% occupancy, as restaurants can in other parts of the state.
“We’re looking for equal application of state standards, just like they have in Long Island or Westchester County,” said Andrew Rigie, the Alliance’s executive director. “It goes without saying that public health and safety has to be a priority. Managing risk and managing the economic crisis must also be a priority.”
Part of managing risk hinges upon a combination of improved ventilation in restaurants and mask-wearing to help minimize airborne transmission, a primary route of spread for the coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control now recommends that people wear a mask with multiple layers or fit a cloth mask on top of a disposable mask for extra protection.
“People have to wear masks of good quality and good fit that don’t leave any gap on the face at all times, except when they’re eating,” emphasized Jose-Luis Jimenez, an aerosol scientist at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
And rather than focus on the number of people in a restaurant, Jimenez said business resources would be better spent on ways to measure proper ventilation. He recommends the installation of carbon dioxide sensors because they serve as a proxy for measuring how air is circulating in a space.
People exhale CO2 when they breathe and if the CO2 level is high--above 700 parts per million, according to Jimenez--it means the room’s air is stagnant and needs more circulation. If prominently placed, a CO2 monitor can allow a diner to decide for themselves if they want to enter a restaurant, Jimenez said.
The idea of installing carbon dioxide sensors indoors is gaining popularity and scientific backing. Washington and some places abroad have implemented this practice but it is not currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Shaman said “at first blush” he thought it was a good idea but noted that air flow can change depending on where in a restaurant someone is seated. “The problem with indoor buildings is there are pockets of stagnant air and pockets of moving air,” Shaman said, noting that someone might be at higher risk if they’re seated in a corner.
Oxley said updating her HVAC system, getting the proper filters and having it regularly inspected is one of the more expensive investments she made to improve safety at Eugene and Co.
Shaman said he worries some restaurants will be more vigilant with safety measures than others. But restaurants have been facing regular inspections from the city Health Department and other agencies during the pandemic, and some have incurred large fines for safety violations, says Rigie. Oxley said inspectors visit restaurants on Tompkins Avenue in Bed Stuy on a weekly basis, although they typically come in the afternoon when some restaurants are closed.
Oxley is looking forward to the warm weather because her guests seem more eager to dine outside. She worries it might take a while for people to reach the same comfort levels with dining inside at full capacity, even after vaccinations are widespread.
“At 38 seats, we’re really close to each other,” said Oxley, whose restaurant is 1,000 square feet, including the kitchen and bathroom. “It’s a really small space. It’s New York City dining. We’re all kind of on top of each other. And we like it that way. But it’s going to take a long time to get that back.”
Oxley added that her chef and general manager—the only two people currently working at the restaurant besides her, since the rest of the staff have been furloughed—are double-masking and have received vaccine doses.
“It gives them a sense of security, which is very important because I think that’s something that’s often overlooked,” Oxley said. “People want to come out and do these things but we need to make sure staff is safe as well.”
