Buffalo, NY (WBEN) With the declaration by Governor Cuomo of Erie County being in an orange zone, there are new restrictions placed on restaurants and salons.
Cuomo announced Wednesday restaurants can not have indoor dining, and salons and other high risk non-essential businesses must close Thursday evening.
"It's very very sad," says Russell Salvatore of Russell's Steaks, Chops and More. "Of all the 70 years in this business, I have to go out like this. Just say prayers and everybody keeps their fingers crossed and if we all behave we could be open before December's gone," he tells WBEN's Tom Bauerle.
Salvatore says staffers took the news hard. "They all got tears in their eyes. It's amazing when we announced the news, they had the goose pimples. It's like a death in the family and they're so sad about it," says Salvatore. He notes reservations were canceled Wednesday but does have more dining Thursday, the final day of indoor dining until COVID19 rates come down.
Another restaurant owner, Nick Pitillo of Osteria 166, says he saw the writing on the wall when the county was in a yellow zone and shut down indoor dining, switching to curbside takeout. "Once we went to four people at a table, we had to cancel half my reservations because they were six and eight people," says Pitillo.
Pitillo says he's upset with the way Cuomo sent the message to WNY. "WNY hasn't felt the wrath like downstate? That's ridiculous. People are dying, businesses are closing, we are taking it seriously," says Pitillo. He adds some restaurants are closing now and not coming back, especially since there's been no relief from the government for the past eight months.
While restaurants have some options, salons don't. They'll be closed after Thursday's operating hours. "It affects all my staff. We have a lot of single moms working for us, and this is devastating," says Peggy Corto of Corto's. "I understand this virus is horrific and it needs to be controlled, but we've done everything possible and we haven't had one case in our business. I don't think shutting everything down is the answer."
"it's shutting down our revenue source," says Corto. "Western New Yorkers are great people. They shop local and the support us and they will continue to support us. But we're getting into gift certificate season, and it's just devastating to us. It's horrible." Corto says there's no sign of stimulus relief for her staff.
Corto says she took lots of steps into keeping staff and clients safe. "We were buying plexiglass before it was popular. We spent a fortune making sure we had the details correct. Now, they're shutting us down again, and it does seem unfair."
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