Danny Meyer.
Scott McDermott
- Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group will require all workers and diners to get booster shots.
- USHG operates 18 restaurants in New York City, including Gramercy Tavern and Union Square Cafe.
- Meyer has also temporarily closed some restaurants over the holiday period.
New York restauranteur Danny Meyer, owner of 18 upscale restaurants in New York City, said that all workers and diners will be required to get COVID-19 booster shots in order to work or dine-in at any of these locations.
Meyer told CNBC that all workers and new hires will be required to have a booster shot effective immediately. Customers will need to show proof of a booster vaccine by mid-January.
Over the summer, Meyer’s company, Union Square Hospitality Group, said that all workers would require proof of vaccine to dine or drink indoors. Workers were also required to be fully vaccinated.
In an interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box, Meyer said that the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and the rollout of the booster vaccine has led the company to change its policy.
“At this point, the science has changed, we now know that fully vaccinated includes boosters,” he said.
Meyer has also made the decision to temporarily close some of his restaurants during the busy holiday period. The list of closed venues includes Gramercy Tavern, Union Square Cafe, The Modern, Marta, Ci Siamo, Intersect by Lexus, and Porchlight.
Meyer told CNBC that he didn’t expect these temporary closures to last long. According to industry news publication Restaurant Business, impacted restaurants are slated to reopen on December 29.
“Hospitality is a team sport, it’s kind of like putting on a play on Broadway or playing a basketball game: If you can’t field a full healthy team, you are going to have to hit pause,” he said.
Meyer also founded fast-food chain Shake Shack. He told CNBC the chain would make its own, separate decision about booster vaccines.
Read the original article on Business Insider 
