"Our understanding is much like most of the things that come out of the governor's mouth...No one understands it," Brendan Biggane, owner of The Byrd House in Orchard Park, said. "There is not a lot of clarity with this new announcement. There's no portion size clarity. There's no announcement on when this takes effect, though we have to assume it's immediately. There's a lot of things that came off the top of his head and there is no directives behind it."
Governor Andrew Cuomo made the announcement on a conference call on Thursday afternoon. All service at bar tops must only be for seated customers who are separated by six feet. The governor also created a "Three Strikes and You're Closed" initiative, though it's dedicated only to bars and restaurants in New York City. Biggane wonders, though, what that means for bars in Western New York.
New York City began phase three on July 6.
Rusty Nickel Brewing Company in West Seneca has never been a place that prioritizes food sales. Jason Havens, the co-owner of the bar, wonders if he now has to hire servers in order to be compliant with the latest mandate.
"It's very taxing on us to have to read through this and identify what exactly food is defined as," Havens said. "Whether that's perhaps a bag of chips, popcorn service, or more in line with a meal. That would certainly tax a business like mine and others like ours who are not necessarily designed to be restaurant style. That would add some complexity to our day."