More than two years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants that were able to survive the initial lockdowns are facing new crises of staff shortages and rising costs due to inflation.

Melissa Fleischut, president and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association, told Capital Tonight that restaurants are changing their schedules and offering more benefits for workers as a remedy.

Gov. Kathy Hochul recently signed legislation that extended the use of public space for outdoor dining so restaurants can welcome more guests as they continue to recover from the pandemic. The bill signing comes after the governor advocated for alcohol-to-go to be included in the state budget agreement. Fleischut said restaurants that have adopted alcohol-to-go are seeing a bump from the sales.

With COVID-19 cases on the rise, New York City health officials are recommending people wear face masks inside but are not making it mandatory. Fleischut said when health guidance and regulations are not uniform, it leads to uncomfortable situations for restaurant employees who then have to deal with angered guests.