NYC restaurant owners say reopening of indoor dining is big help for Valentine’s Day

Patricia's on Morris Park Avenue has been filled up to the limit since indoor dining reopened on Friday. For Valentine's Day, it's completely booked - with the manager turning away hopeful diners at the door.

The cozy Italian spot is decked out - ready for the big holiday with hearts, roses and even a spruced up table of PPE. The restaurant had to close for two months since the city's indoor dining ban in the middle of December.

The dining room was opened up at 25% occupancy on Friday after two long months of only delivery and takeout.

The cherry on top, the general manager tells News 12, is the extra hour Gov. Andrew Cuomo is allowing restaurants to stay open until 11 p.m. instead of 10 p.m. It's not quite as late as its usual pre-pandemic closing time of midnight on the weekends, but staff and diners say they'll take it- especially on such a special holiday.

Patricia's is open every day for indoor dining, and staff say they now are hoping to be able to keep their doors open until midnight again on the weekend if Cuomo eases restrictions again.