Bucco warns of impending doom of state’s restaurant industry

State Sen. Tony Bucco (R-Boonton) issued a dire warning to Gov. Phil Murphy about the looming fate of the state’s restaurant industry as he continued to urge the return of indoor dining Friday.

“Our restaurants have been prepared since May to welcome customers into their dining rooms safely,” Bucco said. “After so many months of operating in the red, they’re desperate for a clear timeline from the administration to decide if they can stretch their finances long enough to survive. It’s irresponsible of the governor not to provide some guidance that would allow these business owners to make informed decisions. All they’re getting is radio silence from the Murphy administration which still hasn’t offered a ‘crisp plan,’ and New Jersey’s restaurant apocalypse continues.”

Indoor dining has been banned in the state since March, and though it was set to return on July 2, that plan was scuttled after spikes in new cases of COVID-19 in others states and concerns that some New Jersey residents were ignoring social distancing guidelines and the state’s mask mandate at other eateries.

There’ve been few updates on the issues since then, though the governor, without naming indoor dining specifically, on Friday signaled the state could soon be ready to resume its reopening.

“Tens of thousands of restaurant workers remain unemployed, and more and more of the establishments where they worked are closing their doors forever,” Bucco said. “You can understand the desperation of restaurant owners who have invested their lives and savings into their businesses only to have it all taken away with the signing of an executive order by the governor.”

Bucco in May released a reopening plan drafted in concert with the Morris County Chamber of Commerce that said the state could begin to reopen its economy immediately. That report said restaurants posed significant risk of spreading the virus.

Rupande Mehta, Bucco’s Democratic challenger, on Friday attacked the report, saying the task force that drafted it lacked an infectious disease expert, warning that reopening indoor dining could cost lives and further claiming that Bucco was only making the call because it was politically expedient.

“Our first concern is keeping all New Jersyans safe,” she said. “However, we need to provide economic relief to our local businesses, now. Bucco has been negligent throughout his time in office during times of need and is only voicing his stance on this public health issue now that he is up for re-election.”

Bucco was appointed to his late father’s seat in the State Senate last year. He and Assemblywoman Aura Dunn (R-Mendham), who was appointed to fill the younger Bucco’s seat, will run for the remainder of their respective terms in November.