Some New York City Restaurants Defy Mayor De Blasio's Weather-Related Outdoor Dining Suspension
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Sunday's snowstorm put a damper on the already struggling restaurant industry in the city.
Outdoor dining was suspended at restaurants that have structures setup on the streets, CBS2's Cory James reported.
On a day when street dining was halted because of the weather, CBS2 found places in Manhattan defying Mayor Bill de Blasio's order.
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Isaac Elvis, owner of Trattoria Casa di Isacco in Hell's Kitchen, told CBS2 he was not going to stop serving people who wanted to eat inside his $30,000 structure, especially not on Super Bowl Sunday. He said he likes the mayor, but disagrees with the change he made.
"It's stupid thing, what he said. Everyone can be safe but close? For what? Closed means negative," Elvis said.
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Next door, the bar Blue Ruin was also open and serving customers in the street.
"I just came for the day from Philly. I have no idea," one person said, adding when asked if it bothered him that establishments were defying the order. "Now that you're saying it, I guess, yeah."
James tried getting a comment from the restaurant, but an employee on the other side of the window said no one was available.
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Meanwhile, Richard Carnevale was watching businesses make money doing what the city said is not allowed. He said he gets why they are ignoring the order, but also understands why it was put in place.
"The plows are plowing and they are afraid the plows might damage these outdoor buildings, so maybe they shouldn't be open," Carnevale said.
And that is what the mayor said Saturday was the reason for the order.
Blondie's on the Upper West Side was not going to let the pandemic or outdoor dining suspension put in place stop the establishment.
"We were looking forward to this day for the last couple of months," owner Jill Homorodean said.
Homorodean said she knew about the changes the mayor made, but said the plowing happened earlier in the day and she felt it was safe to open.
"They came by this morning. I walked around the neighborhood to see if streets were cleared and they were clear. I didn't see any other plows. So I assumed everything was good and we decided to open because the snow wasn't there anymore and we needed the business."
James reached out to de Blasio's office Sunday to see if any citations were issued, but so far he has not heard back.
CBS2's Christina Fan contributed to this report.
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