Owners Nora O'Malley and Phoebe Connell discussed the decision in an Instagram post:
We've had a blast the last few months, hanging with you on our "patio." If you've dined with us this summer, you know that we've changed a few things while still trying to keep the Lois vibe alive, and, most important, all of our Lois family safe and happy.
After careful consideration, we've decided that indoor dining as it stands today does not meet our standards of safety, so we will be closing for the winter to regroup. Hopefully that will put us in a position to come back in the spring for outdoor dining.
Let's be honest, things are changing every day and no one knows how they're going to change next. We understand that @mayordiblasio and @nygovcuomo believe that year round outdoor dining + 25% indoor can save this industry, but the reality is much more complex.
We are truly a small business, and we currently do not have the financial resources to upgrade our ventilation system or build private igloos. We support every incredible operator in this city, however they choose to run their businesses — this is simply our reality.
We deeply hope that we’re able to return again in the spring, and dreaming of drinking with you again is what will get us through the winter, but the reality is that we just aren’t sure. That’s as transparent as we can be with all of you who have made the past 5.5 years a dream come true. Please come out and help us say so long, not farewell.Lois opened in March 2015... Grub Street named it one of the neighborhood's best bars in 2016.
Image via the Lois Facebook page. H/T Vinny & O!
Supposedly the plan is to switch to 50% indoors at the end of the month, just saying.
ReplyDeleteNeither the mayor nor the governor ever said that year round outdoor dining + 25% indoor can save this industry. Besides, there's a chance it's going to be 50% capacity in a week or in few weeks. What else can they do? The help needs to come from the Feds, instead of throwing billions at the evil airline industry. Hopefully on January 20th...
ReplyDeleteIsn't Lois part of ABC Beer and the liquor store next door? Not saying that makes it that much easier for them, but I thought there was some kind of diversification going on as a result.
ReplyDeleteEither way, went recently and was shocked at how much more expensive everything seemed. I remember Lois having affordable by-the-glass wines and now the cheapest thing appears to be a mid-$20 carafe of wine that seems like a steep entry point. On top of that, I found the service lackluster and disinterested.
I really liked Lois when they first opened and am sad to see them close for now, but if/when they come back, I hope they clean house a little bit and try harder.
The feds aren't helping. This isn't a national issue. This is an NYC issue. Even if Biden wins - and he wants another stimulus- the help wouldn't arrive until the spring anyway. Even a Biden win doesn't guarantee the big check Cuomo wants. This is on the mayor and governor.
ReplyDelete