Park Slope Restaurants Embrace Indoor Dining Return

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — Albeit not without challenges, the city's post-coronavirus outdoor dining program meant hundreds of Park Slope eateries could welcome back customers over the summer, transforming the neighborhood's streets into a vibrant al-fresco restaurant scene.

But not all restaurants were able to join in the success.

"I didn't have a way for outdoor dining," said Shah Shihab, a manager at the Flatbush Avenue restaurant Joy, where space limited an outdoor set-up. "We've been only takeout."

For Shihab, and many other restaurant owners, the end of the months-long coronavirus pause on in-person dining came just this week — with the revival of indoor dining in New York City.

Joy was able to open its doors to customers for the first time since March on Wednesday evening, Shihab said, though capacity limits mean the 50-person dining room is set up for just about 12 people.

The case was similar at Da Nonna Rosa, an Italian restaurant on Seventh Avenue. The eatery also didn't have an outdoor set-up, but now has 10 booths open inside.

"A lot of customers really enjoy our dining service," waitress Charisma Diab told Patch. "It's better for business [with an] open dining room."

The return of indoor dining also means restaurants who have been able to take advantage of outdoor dining can get even closer to normalcy.

Many Fifth Avenue spots — including La Villa, Burgers and Beer, Bogota Latin Bistro, Miti Miti and Medusa — now have both indoor and outdoor set-ups.

"We're happy," La Villa manager Louis Gallego told Patch. "Everything feels a little more balanced — like how it used to be."

But the return to indoor dining isn't without it's hurdles. Gallego and Shihab both said they are still working on letting customers know eating inside is an option.

"I’m not sure people are excited to come inside," Shihab said. "I spoke to some customers who said they’re not ready yet."

That hesitancy — and, for some, a fear of coronavirus surges — has caused a number of restaurants across the five boroughs to wait on opening up the indoors.

Others are holding off as they put final touches on a slew of new safety measures.

Along with limited capacity, indoor dining comes with requirements for at-the-door temperature checks, contact forms for health officials and strict air filtration and purification standards.

Mark Caserta, executive director of the Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID, said it is difficult to say exactly how many restaurants total will take advantage of the indoor option since not all "started on day one." He specifically pointed to double-checking ventilation systems as a reason many might be opening later.