Bars and Restaurants

Erie County Legislature supporting bill to cap food delivery fees

By Ryan Zunner • Jan 22, 2021

The Erie County Legislature passed a resolution in support of a statewide bill that would place a cap on the rates third-party companies could charge restaurants.

Erie County lawsuit prompts state to allow indoor dining in NY orange zones

By James Brown • Jan 15, 2021

New York State has decided to allow all bars and restaurants in orange zones statewide to resume indoor dining at 50% capacity. That decision is in reaction to a court ruling allowing nearly 100 establishments in Buffalo to do that.

Restaurants in Erie County orange zone can offer dine-in, judge rules

By Ryan Zunner • Jan 14, 2021

Restaurants in Erie County gained a key victory in court for their effort to welcome back dine-in guests.

WNY restaurants in court to challenge dine-in ban

By Ryan Zunner • Jan 8, 2021

A group of over 70 area restaurants will head back to State Supreme Court Friday in hopes of reversing the governor’s executive orders which have shuttered the doors to customers.

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WBFO's Ryan Zunner reports.

New federal numbers show jobs down, wages up locally

By Mike Desmond • Jan 4, 2021

Employment in the Buffalo area is improving a little bit, although that’s from a very low base this spring when the COVID-19 pandemic hammered the job market.

Restaurants say Cuomo's new rules will lead more to shut their doors

By Karen DeWitt • Dec 9, 2020

New York state is operating under a new set of metrics to determine pandemic-related shutdowns. But some, including restaurant owners, are finding Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s new criteria difficult to decipher, and worry it will mean more eateries will soon be out of business.

Restaurants in New York struggle as pandemic, cold weather intensify

By Karen DeWitt • Dec 4, 2020

Karen Dewitt / WBFO Albany Correspondent

Restaurants in New York are facing a dire winter, now that cold weather has ended most outdoor dining and Gov. Andrew Cuomo has placed further restrictions on indoor dining as COVID-19 rates rise.

One of those restaurants is the Savoy Taproom in Albany, which has been in business since 1936. It was known as Justin’s for many years and has long been a gathering place for some state lawmakers, their staff and lobbyists. That was back when the Senate and Assembly used to actually meet in person, before the pandemic.

Cuomo orders new restrictions on bars, restaurants, gyms, in-home gatherings

By Karen DeWitt • Nov 12, 2020

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is imposing new restrictions on bars and restaurants and limiting the number of people at a home gathering to 10 or fewer, effective on Friday.

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3:14

WBFO Albany Correspondent Karen Dewitt reports

Mayor Brown warns of new shutdown if COVID-19 cases continue to rise

By Mike Desmond • Nov 11, 2020

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said the city is pushing back as hard as it can against the COVID-19 virus, pushing to keep Albany from coming in and tightening the regulatory screws even more than it did Monday, when most of Erie County went into the yellow zone.

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1:18

WBFO's Mike Desmond reports

City of Buffalo extends COVID-19 curbside dining rules through May 1

By Mike Desmond • Nov 6, 2020

With the bar and restaurant business struggling in the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Buffalo is moving to continue a major assistance program started when the economy fell apart this spring.

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WBFO's Mike Desmond reports

Ban on advertising, ticket sales at music venues ruled unconstitutional

By Jeff Spevak & Daniel J. Kushner • Oct 1, 2020

A controversial State Liquor Authority ban on advertising and selling tickets for live music at bars and restaurants in New York has been ruled unconstitutional.

Nearly 20% of restaurants remain closed, as NYRSA calls for stimulus package

By Marian Hetherly • Aug 17, 2020

The New York State Restaurant Association is out with a disturbing survey, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause economic havoc.

Cuomo says Trump's unemployment plan is an 'impossibility'

By Karen DeWitt • Aug 10, 2020

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says New York doesn’t have enough money in its budget to meet a requirement in President Donald Trump’s executive order to fund $100 a week in additional unemployment benefits.

NY wineries adjust to Cuomo’s new alcohol rules

By Jillian Forstadt • Jul 22, 2020

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced new rules for bars and restaurants last week in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. The mandate prohibits businesses from serving alcohol to those who don’t also order food and requires all patrons to be seated.