Bar and restaurant owners are calling on Gov. Phil Murphy to allow them to offer indoor dining once again before they go out of business.

Members of the New Jersey Licensed Beverage Association – a group that represents nearly 6,000 bar, restaurant and tavern owners in the state – gathered outside of the Stress Factory Comedy Club in New Brunswick to express their concerns.

“We cannot lose another weekend of the summer. Our employees can’t lose another check,” says executive director Dianne Weiss.

Restaurants can begin offering outdoor dining on June 15, but the governor has not yet set a date for indoor dining. Restaurants and bars have only been able to offer takeout and delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the owners say that not every restaurant can offer outdoor dining.

“Outdoor dining will only help those who have it and only those areas that generate summer traffic. That leaves city restaurants – that have helped revitalizes our urban centers – out of the picture,” says Stress Factory owner Vinnie Brand.

The owners say that they have plans in place to serve customers indoors safely – plans prepared before the pandemic.

“The restaurant operators of this state have always complied in any way in terms of sanitation,” says Brand. “But we are simply left to rot.”

“There’s not a problem putting more rules on us as long as you need. We can handle it,” says Kilkenny Ale House owner Rob Lynch.

News 12 New Jersey asked the governor when indoor dining can resume. The governor answered, “We’ll get there,” but offered no timeline.