"Our restaurants are certainly safer than house parties where these celebrations are occurring because restaurants and banquet halls are not open," said Marilou Halvorsen, president of the New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association.
With the Garden State stuck in Stage Two because of COVID-19 spikes in other states, an increasing number of fitness centers and restaurants are in danger of closing for good.
Until outdoor dining is actually underway in New Jersey, the Garden State will be losing this business to neighboring states, according to the association that represents the state's restaurant industry.
A proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Labor would allow restaurant owners to get their hands on some tips earned by waiters and waitresses, and distribute them to other non-tipped workers in the building, such as cooks and dish washers.