A New York diner and bakery called Pasticceria Rocco has come out against the recently imposed vaccine mandates in the city. The Daily Mail reports, Mary Josephine Generoso, manager of the diner, said she believes the new rule is “segregating people” and called it a step back in time.
Generoso also stated, “for me, it’s not political — most of my customers are vaccinated. It’s about civil liberties and freedoms. Now we have to be in a society where people can’t roam freely and enter my place of business if they want to? How is that OK [sic] in the United States of America?”
Restaurants in the city are now required to put up a sign on their doors or windows reading that vaccination is required for customers looking to enter. After New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the proof of vaccination requirements, Generoso put a sign up in the window of her Bay Ridge Brooklyn Rocco’s location reading, “we do not discriminate against any customer based on sex, gender, race, creed, age, vaccinated or unvaccinated. All customers who wish to patronize are welcome.”
Since putting up the sign, Generoso says they have received support from people across the country. “We’ve had more support than I believed we would. People have come to me from other states, upstate; I’ve had emails from people in California and even outside the US.” She also said, “We put the sign up not for our patrons but because we thought other business owners would stand up in solidarity.”
Owner of the Brooklyn Chop House, Stratis Morfogen, denounced the new law as well, saying, “What are we, the police? Asking our diners to ‘show us ze papers’ like in Nazi Germany?” He went on to say the mandate “is against our constitutional rights and everything we stand for.” Morfogen also noted the black market for vaccine cards is thriving, stating, “We’re not going to have conflicts with our patrons questioning the authenticity of these amateur documents. We will ask nicely, and our customers will show us their reports filled out in pen just to go along with this political sham.”
Robert Briskin, owner of American Brass and Maiella in Queens, said it would be tough to get rid of unvaccinated staff members in addition to policing. He stated, “I’m sure my staff can sit home and collect from the same people enforcing these rules. I would appreciate it if the government did its own dirty work and would stop bossing me around. I spent a year being the mask police, and now I have to be the vaccine police. Is the city going to pay me for my service?”
President and CEO of Alicart Restaurant group, Jeffrey Bank, said his organization supports the new rule but posed the question: “A party of eight comes in. They are all vaccinated except for one person, who claims a religious exemption. What do you do?”
The details of the new proof of vaccination restrictions state that children under the age of 12 will be allowed to eat indoors with vaccinated parents. There will be no restrictions on eating outside. Indoor restaurants, bars, museums, and movie theaters will be subject to the new laws, but not office buildings, community and elder centers, or outdoor dining establishments. The new law also says a picture of your Centers for Disease Control vaccination card, the NYC COVID Safe App, the New York State Excelsior App, or an actual CDC immunization card are all acceptable proofs of vaccination.
Beginning on September 13, businesses that fail to ensure their venues are free of unvaccinated people will face $1,000 fines for the first infraction and $2,000 for the second.
Several high-profile restaurateurs, including Danny Meyer of the Gramercy Tavern and Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin, have supported the new requirements. Executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, Andrew Regie, acknowledged the new law’s intricacies and conflicts but believes it is important.
Regie also stated, “There are restaurateurs who support it and restaurateurs who oppose it. No doubt the vaccine requirement will pose challenges to restaurants, but all seem to agree we cannot go back to harsher restrictions and shutdowns.”
The vaccine push in New York continues even as the state faces the challenge of transitioning to a new governor, the city electing a new mayor, and a crime wave that shows no signs of slowing down.
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