NYC Open Restaurants Will Return Next Year, De Blasio Says

NEW YORK CITY — Outdoor dining will be part of New York City's dining landscape for at least another year.

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday announced the city's Open Restaurants program will start again on June 1, 2021.

And city officials are looking starting it earlier next spring, as well as extending this year's Oct. 31 end date, de Blasio said.

"We’re going to look at whether we can go farther this year, that’s still an open question," he said.

The Open Restaurants program began as coronavirus restrictions kept restaurants and bars from opening up their indoor spaces. The program expanded outdoor dining onto sidewalks, parking spaces and, in some areas, streets.

De Blasio said about 9,000 eateries are now part of the program and city officials estimate it brought about 80,000 New Yorkers back to work.

"Think about what that means for their families," he said.

For more information about Open Restaurants, including locations, click here.