STATEMENT FROM NJ RESTAURANT & HOSPITALITY ASSOCIATION ON LIFTING OF INDOOR MASK, SOCIAL DISTANCING RESTRICTIONS

May 24, 2021

We want to thank Governor Murphy for a significant leap forward toward recovery at this critical moment with Memorial Day upon us. Our restaurant, hospitality and tourism sectors desperately needed this to happen in time for our Summer Season, and we have been granted that wish.

Standing at bars indoors and outdoors, dancing in restaurants and the freedom to remove masks by choice renews our quality of life and the enjoyment of our destinations and activities that mean so much to us through the sunny, warm months of the year. Our tourism destinations and venues will be able to plan large gatherings, festivals and entertainment, which is a big boost to our economy and will help us receive more travelers who stay in our hotels and elevate our economic rebound.

The removal of social distancing finally allows restaurants an opportunity to reach full capacity, and the June 4th move to 100% capacity for banquet venues is wonderful news to many upcoming brides who were forced to trim their guest invites due to limits at their venues.

We continue to explore and hope to see solutions to the labor shortage. Unfortunately, many of our businesses across the state are unable to reap the full benefits of this progress since they do not have workers filling needed jobs to meet the current and increasing demand.

But this is great progress. We will welcome our 2021 Summer Season with a promising return to the long-awaited place of ‘normal’.

Dana Lancellotti

President, CEO

NJ Restaurant & Hospitality Association