King Cuomo, the Governor of New York who granted himself Executive Powers, has decreed that no dancing is to be allowed in bars, restaurants, and even at weddings. Also banned are darts, pool, billiards, and karaoke.
And according to regulations recently posted on the state liquor authority’s website, music is only allowed to be played in venues if it’s “incidental” and people aren’t paying specifically to hear it.
This comes on top of the governor’s previous order that alcohol can only be served in bars if a customer orders food along with it.
Another claim to fame Governor Cuomo can brag about is how he has virtually destroyed New York City as one of the world’s great restaurant destinations. Andrew Rigie, who heads the New York City Hospitality Alliance, cited a survey revealing 83 percent of all the restaurants were unable to pay their rent.
Eater.com reports that while no one yet knows how many restaurants have permanently closed due to the shutdown, it has documented more than 150 restaurant and bar closings. The website also reports:
“In recent weeks, there’s been a surge in the number of weekly reported closings, with close to 70 occurring in the last month alone… If studies and reports on small-business closures are anything to go by, the number of documented closings constitutes a fraction of the toll the pandemic has taken on the restaurant industry so far.”
TRENDPOST: The destruction of the restaurant business as well as small businesses in general extends beyond New York City and across the entire state.
In April, the New York State Restaurant Association predicted that as many as 5,500 of the state’s restaurants and bars could close by the end of that month. In August, the New York Times wrote that 2,800 small businesses closed down in NYC since early March, a third of which were restaurants and bars.