Bay Area Restaurants Change New Year's Eve Plans Amid Surge in COVID Cases

With New Year’s Eve approaching, immoderate bars and restaurants aren’t taking their chances and went up and refunded guests their money, portion others are forging up with Friday’s celebration.

But, Torsap Thai Kitchen successful Walnut Creek has their champagne glasses ready. The proprietor told NBC Bay Area that she’s hoping her squad tin propulsion disconnected Friday’s large enactment without much guests dropping retired astatine the last second.

Owner Wendy Sanchez doesn’t privation to conscionable big a party. The proprietor of Torsap Thai Kitchen wants to big a celebration, aft a twelvemonth of takeout orders and constricted outdoor dining. For her staff, it’s not the countdown that matters, it’s the currency tips.

“Of course, they expect tips due to the fact that it’s a large nighttime for them,” she said.

Sanchez said each guests volition beryllium asked to amusement their vaccine paper astatine the door. That hasn’t stopped 10 radical from already cancelling their tickets implicit fears of the Omicron variant.

Sanchez isn’t the lone restauranteur who is hoping she tin propulsion of a COVID-free New Year’s Eve party.

Pete Sittnick, manager of the Water Bar and Epic Steak successful San Francisco, 2 restaurants that are forging up with parties Friday night.

“Its fluid close present for New Year’s Eve. There is decidedly immoderate interest with the omnicron variant,” helium said.

There is besides the venues that are refunding thousands of dollars backmost and cancelling parties due to the fact that of the surge.

This includes the Moxy Hotel successful Oakland, wherever instrumentalist John Palowitch was excited to execute for a unrecorded assemblage with his jazz band.

“That is surely disappointing. We don’t get to bash the work. We don’t get to play euphony for the fans that were going to travel through,” helium said.