Reopen News: NYC restaurants, barbershops, Macy's welcoming customers as Phase 2 begins

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Phase 2: NYC restaurants, barbershops, Macy's reopen

New York City officially entered Phase 2 in the road to reopening Monday, meaning for the first time in months, people can eat outdoors at restaurants and shop inside at retail est

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- New York City officially entered Phase 2 in the road to reopening Monday, meaning for the first time in months, people can eat outdoors at restaurants and shop inside at retail establishments.

Barbershops and salons can also open at 50% capacity

Macy's announced it is reopening its New York City stores -- including its iconic flagship store in Herald Square.

"We are pleased to announce that today, Macy's stores in New York City will begin re-opening for business, ready to safely serve customers in-store, online and on the go," the retailer said in a statement. "Macy's Herald Square, the company's iconic flagship re-opens featuring a curated assortment of must-have beauty, fashion, accessories and home, plus the perfect items to click and pick-up, for every occasion. Following Centers for Disease Control (CDC), as well as state and local guidance, Macy's stores in the NY Metro area are open to the public from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., offering in-store shopping, as well as contact-free curbside pick-up."

Meantime, on Third Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, a temporary patio has been constructed in the street outside a row of restaurants.

New York City has 27,000 restaurants, according to the mayor's office, and on Friday, the city started offering an expedited approval process, allowing restaurants to place tables on sidewalks, in the street and even in pedestrian plazas.

Some New York City officials are calling for the MTA to reopen the subway during overnight hours as the city enters Phase 2 on Monday.

Some restaurants are going a step further, ditching physical menus for a QR code you scan to your smartphone.

"The menu comes up on your screen, and you can order that way - and also as a matter of payment, so you don't have to touch anything," said Lolo Manso, the owner of Socarrat. "I think restaurants are the heart and soul of New York City, so I am very happy that finally, we see the light at the end of the tunnel."

Even Mayor Bill de Blasio took advantage of the newly allowed outdoor dining in Harlem on Monday night.

Many restaurants have found creative ways to pack people in, while keeping them apart.

Even with the most creative solutions to get as many tables outside as possible, many restaurant owners in the city say it will still be really hard to do business, with not nearly the revenue they'd see in normal times.

Some offices are allowed to open as well, including real estate firms.

As many as 300,000 New Yorkers are expected to head back to work as Phase 2 gets underway.

All businesses that can reopen for Phase 2:

- Commercial Building Management

- Essential and Phase Two In-Store Retail Businesses

- Hair Salons and Barbershops

- Offices

- Outdoor and Take-Out and Delivery Food Services

- Real Estate Services

- Retail Rental, Repair and Cleaning Activities

- Vehicles Sales, Lease and Rental Companies

WATCH EYEWITNESS TO A PANDEMIC

The sense of doom grew, especially after March 1, when the first confirmed case arrived in Manhattan. Soon, there was a hotspot in New Rochelle, and small curfews and containment zones across the area offered a hint of a frightening future we still thought we could avoid.