Freeholder Director To Murphy: 'Please' Reopen Indoor Dining

FREEHOLD, NJ – Nearly one month after the initial July 2 date scheduled to reopen indoor dining service, restaurants, diners and bars across New Jersey still remain open to outdoor service only. In order to drum up business, several area establishments have made strides, including socially distant bar service and even an initiative to shut down entire streets and establish a pedestrian plaza.

The indefinite “pause” on indoor dining has found a critic in many restaurant owners, and at least one Monmouth County official. In a public statement released on Tuesday, Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone voiced his concerns regarding the indefinite “pause” of indoor dining in the state. Read more: Gov. Murphy Postpones NJ Indoor Dining Reopen Amid Coronavirus

“There are too many dining establishments that are not able to open for outdoor dining and they have been forced to remain closed or rely solely on take-out and delivery sales to get by. It is incredibly unfair that they continue to wait for clearance to reopen for indoor dining and are given no inkling as to when that will be,” Arnone said.

The official stated that many Monmouth County restaurant owners are ‘truly suffering’ from the postponement of indoor dining. While warm weather allows eateries to serve customers comfortably on a patio, terrace or curbside table, this month’s extreme heat has been bad for businesses.

The Freeholder Director is not the first to criticize the postponement. Republican Sen. Kip Bateman voiced his concern over the Murphy administration’s decision, urging the state to reconsider as many restaurants "are struggling to survive."

Gov. Murphy said in a June press briefing that indoor dining will reopen "at a later date”, but an official announcement as to when has yet to be seen. In the conference, Murphy cited spikes in other states – largely driven by the reopening of indoor dining and bars – as a reason to step back.

“As the Director of the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, I am asking the Governor to please reopen restaurants for indoor dining or at least provide a timely plan to address moving towards this goal—one with clear benchmarks to be met,” said Arnone.

In the statement, the Freeholder Director also highlighted the fact that no outbreaks of the virus have been tied to any outdoor dining establishments in the county.

“While I understand the concern for public health, the facts show that restaurants are proving that they are capable of providing a safe environment for their customers,” Arnone said. “It seems unfair to punish our dining establishments for the irresponsible behavior of those having social gatherings in private homes, which have led to outbreaks … we have to give these establishments a chance before it is too late.”

The Murphy administration clarified in June that the decision to postpone indoor dining can be reversed “within weeks”. Until then, the governor reminds the public of his mantra, that "public health creates economic health."

"Am I concerned about the livelihood, the viability of the hospitality industry? Absolutely, period," the governor said in the June 29 briefing. "I have a bigger concern about people getting sick inside of establishments, reigniting a wave and then devastating both those establishments as well the economy."

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