NEW YORK — While restaurants have been allowed to reopen under certain safety guidelines, one area within the food industry that's still hurting is catering.
Owners of several local catering and banquet facilities sent a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo's office on Monday asking for caterers to be allowed back to 100% capacity.
They say that because of the limit on gathering sizes, most of their big events cannot be held.
Those businesses argue that their professionally-hosted events could actually be safer than people holding large parties on their own at home.
"Our thought is that we are industry professionals," said Dan Garvey, manager of the Roycroft Inn. "We are taking care of the guidelines that are mandated. And we are working with the state to overcome this issue. People at home are not doing that, and it could be a much less safe environment to have something at home than to have something at a professionally catered... or professional banquet hall where we can oversee those guidelines."
Garvey says he appreciates the safety guidelines that have kept the outbreak to a minimum here with restaurants back open but feels it's time for caterers and banquet halls to be allowed to expand their services.