With The Pandemic Surging, Restaurants Get Creative Yet Again

With the pandemic surging and more restaurant shutdowns underway, operators around the country are finding new ways to be creative as they fight to survive what is shaping up to be a long winter.

City Winery checks guests for COVID

City Winery, the chain of dinner theaters that featured live music in pre-pandemic days, is trying a new way to safely bring back its entertainment and on-site clientele. Through the end of the year, the operation’s New York City branch is opening its doors on Tuesday and Wednesday nights exclusively to patrons who are willing to take an instant-results COVID-19 test as a condition of their entry. The test is administered at the door, and only individuals who test negative will be admitted. The staff will similarly be tested before being allowed into the facility for their shift, ensuring that everyone inside is not infected with coronavirus. 

For the privilege of being in that safe environment, customers pay $50 for the test. The fee is pre-paid as a condition of reserving a seat via Resy. City Winery says 100% of the charge goes toward the price of the test, and it notes that customers are awarded with a glass of sparkling wine while they await the test results.

The idea is similar to one that was put forth in San Francisco by former mayor Willie Brown. In a recent installment of his column in the San Francisco Chronicle, the flamboyant former politician suggested that restaurant reservations be limited to consumers who test negative for COVID-19 three days before they intend to dine out. Essentially, the test would screen out likely carriers of the coronavirus.