Albany, June 4 -- Outdoor dining will be permitted in Phase 2 of New York's reopening plan for exiting the coronavirus crisis, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Wednesday, giving a boost to restaurant owners desperate to restart after months of a crippling shutdown.
The move means restaurants on Long Island may be able to start offering outdoor dining as soon as next week, when Nassau and Suffolk hope they will qualify to enter the next phase.
The prospect of returning chefs to kitchens, bringing back waitstaff and serving customers was a ray of hope for many business owners struggling to hold on through much uncertainty.
"We're feeling a combination of first-day-of-school jitters and just a huge amount of relief," said Frank Antonetti, co...