New York Pub Adds $ 1 ‘Cuomo Chips’ to Menu

Matthew Bagley, the owner of Harvey’s Restaurant and Bar, told CNN that he was not making a political statement when he added Cuomo Chips to the menu.

“It started as, not so much a joke, but at least to clarify the situation that we had another unexpected obstacle that we had to go through,” Bagley said.

The restaurant already offered a full menu, but Bagley wanted an option for customers who are not very hungry.

Bagley said he received a call from the state Liquor Authority, which said that bar snacks like chips, nuts, or cookies are not important enough to count according to the rule, but serving sauce or another dip would be fine. .

He said the pub is also offering a fancy-looking $ 1 flatbread with roasted beets, cheese, and veggies and will likely start offering pretzel bites because fries are running low.

“We have noticed a significant increase in guests coming from different places to say, ‘We are here because of the Cuomo chips,'” he said.

Bagley said he takes the rules seriously and is doing his best to make sure the pub complies and everyone wears a mask and keeps their distance.

“I had to close the bar for three months when all phases began, so the last thing we want to do here is to further jeopardize the business by acting nonchalantly about these rules,” he said.

Cuomo said the state is seeing “significant” evidence that restaurants and bars do not meet Covid-19’s social distancing regulations, and estimated that at least 5,000 establishments in New York state were not.

He said his office has received thousands of complaints and videos showing restaurants and bars with inappropriate social distancing.

The governor said the state will enforce a “three strikes and you’re closed” policy.

“I am for it,” Bagley said. “People really need to follow the rules, because if we don’t, we’re just going to be left in this state of limbo. How are we going to move forward if people don’t start working together?”