The snow has presented even more challenges for restaurants already struggling during this pandemic.
Tabare in Williamsburg has heaters in place for outdoor dining. It went to delivery and pickup Wednesday as the nor’easter moved in.
However, some third-party apps stopped delivering after a certain point, so the location closed early.
The Uruguayan restaurant also has a back patio, but staff covered it as the temperatures dropped. It is now considered indoor dining, which is suspended.
“Everything costs money, everything,” said Bruno Gervais, co-owner of Tabare. “We lose money every day. We do this kind of thing, the law changes, every day. So we’re thinking about that now, should we uncover it? Or should we wait because in a week they’ll tell us it’s a complete lockdown? So it’s pointless to do that. We live like one day at a time.”
The restaurant relies heavily on this South 1st Street location since its second location in Bushwick doesn’t do as much business.
Tabare returned to outdoor dining Thursday but not as many people came to dine, something the owners are getting used to.
The restaurant has been able to manage so far however they say it is likely they won’t have steady business until the spring.