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New Jersey bar to sue over indoor dining restrictions

2020-09-17 | 🔗
Mark Gleason, owner of Gleason’s Place bar, and James Mermigis, attorney, explain on ‘Fox & Friends.’
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Steve some New Jersey, Steve some New Jersey, restaurants, have been open for indoor dining at twenty five percent capacity since the beginning of this month of September, but our next guest still says: twenty five percent is not enough. He is a sports bar owner planning to sue Governor Murphy of New Jersey and is working to get other businesses to join the lawsuit. The owner of greasons place. Mark Gleason joins us now, along with his attorney James Good Morning, to you doing, okay, but Mark you know. Finally, I live in New Jersey as well. Finally, the governor said: okay, you know its been long enough. Now. Restaurants can open at twenty five percent capacity, but twenty five percent capacity does not make sense to you. Does it well? Steve Trn lies the cru of the matter. The question I would ask ask all the good friends watching fox and friends this morning, as you
are putting your shoes on, and drinking coffee having bills at the end of the month, doesnt work for twenty five percent of what you normally make economically viable. I think you know to a large decree. Most people tell you im not going to do that at twenty five percent. Its referred insolvency is what it is Steve people are thinking, they are finally open. Twenty five percent is better than no percent, but you are not open right now, because it does not make sense for you to turn on the lights, bring everybody back in pay them restock every couple of days, because you are only at twenty five percent. What is the magic number for Governor Murphy? If is he watching? We know he watches this, show fifty percent seventy five percent. What is the break even point? I think, at very minimum fifty percent.
We also have to remember coming off the heels of zero percent. You are not in a position to operate effectively, so you know its not its, not a quick fix, its a long haul process and part one of the bench marks. You know what numbers are we striving towards as far as at least we can anticipate what you know is in our future, Steve Sure, James. You are representing a number of restaurants and bars in New York and New Jersey and its a big number. I know you have got. I think you signed up close to one hundred businesses already, but more would like to sign on to these lawsuits, but they dont for a very good reason. Good morning, the biggest reason a lot of
these restaurants in New Jersey do not want to sign up, is they fear, retaliation from the governor of New Jersey? They are afraid that if they sign up- and they are vocal about it- that they might lose their liquor license or might lose their american tile license or any other license. They are fearful thats why they are reluctant to sign on to this lawsuit Steve. The thing is James, as you know here in the New York City, New Jersey area this morning, its kind of chilly its not going to be too long before outdoor dining, doesnt work anymore, fort many restaurants who are doing that, and that means they have got to rely on twenty five percent right now. Some restaurants have people out at the curb and they have twenty five percent indoors, so that helps a little, but still it is not sustainable right, James, not sustainable. If you look at the weather in the New York City, Tri State area,
its going to be in the 40s over the weekend, no one wants to sit and dine outside in cold weather. Twenty five percent is just not viable. There is not one restaurant in New Jersey that even pays their bills with twenty five percent indoor capacity, small businesses to at least be viable and pay their billings James, real quick before you go im sure your waiters waitresses and you know your books. Everybody calls you from time to time. What do you tell them? Was that question for Mark Steve, yeah mark your employees call and say whats going on. Please help us. My employees are out of this world fantastic. They completely understand the inviability of what we are dealing with here. As far as you know, the economics of it them being savvy, they get it, but they are also chomping at
the bit. They are productive people. They want to work and feed their family thats it Steve absolutely. They can use some help from Washington, but Washington seems to be playing politics with any sort of relief at this point Hark Gleason and James. Thank you very much. Thank you. We appreciate the opportunity Steve. Absolutely we did reach out to the.
Transcript generated on 2020-09-17.