Meals to go makes New York state return

You can take your meals outside at restaurants in New York state, extending a beloved pandemic perk.

Gov. Hochul on Friday signed a bill to extend outdoor dining to help the state’s restaurant industry continue to recover from pandemic losses.

The legislation, which was set to expire in July of 2021, now extends the program for three years.

A survey from this January found the state’s restaurant industry found three out of four businesses reported losses in 2021.