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The owners of those restaurants, however, don't see things getting much easier over the next three months and beyond.

That's because summer is ending, and outdoor dining season will soon follow. Restaurants will then be left with 50% of their indoor capacity as a condition of the state's COVID-19 guidance. But even reaching that capacity will be difficult: Restaurateurs worry customers may not feel as comfortable eating in dining rooms as they did outside due to the airborne nature of the virus.

Sprinkle that situation generously with new expenses like masks, gloves and sanitizer, serve it over six months of lukewarm business, and you have a medley of hardships facing the state's restaurant owners. According to a recent New York State Restaurant Association survey, 64% of them they won't make it to 2021 without some sort of government relief.

In Auburn, at least one already hasn't. Early this summer, the owners of Connie's Tex-Mex announced the State Street restaurant's closure on Facebook after more than 25 years in business. Other local establishments remain in limbo, like the iconic Hunter Dinerant, which closed indefinitely in March, and longtime destination Curley's, which has yet to reopen.

Despite this once-in-a-lifetime downturn in the hospitality business, though, the owners of three Auburn restaurants that have reopened are trying to stay positive.

Bernie Simmons, owner of Balloons Restaurant and co-owner of cocktail bar A.T. Walley & Co., told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV that both establishments are down at least 50% in revenue this year, or about half a million dollars. In particular, summer was a "horrible" season for his catering business. Both he and Luke Houghton, owner of Pure Market and Eatery, have lost almost all of that business due to the cancellation of weddings, reunions and other events. Though catering has begun to rebound lately, the events are limited to 50 people or less because of the state's social distancing guidance.

"When you generate revenue by gathering people, it's certainly not good when something like this happens," Houghton told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. "For us, it's been relatively devastating."

In response, each restaurateur has adapted to the pandemic in his own way. For Simmons, it's been expanding the outdoor seating at A.T. Walley, with assistance from the city of Auburn, and introducing a summer food menu that's drawn well. What was a business comprised of 90% beverages and 10% food has become one comprised of 40% beverages and 60% food, he said. 

Houghton, meanwhile, stayed busy during the spring and early summer with his home meal service, Provisions by Pure, as takeout and delivery have been permitted by the state since March. 

But he also launched a new monthly virtual experience, Dining Inside Out, that sees Houghton and other local chefs prepare and package a meal for takeout or delivery. Then, at a scheduled time, participants join a Zoom call with the chefs and enjoy the meal as they talk about their creation. Houghton compared the experience to a cooking show. It's been well-received so far, he said, and he's already been contracted to host one during a J.P. Morgan Christmas party in Denver. He'll soon launch a platform for people to organize their own Dining Inside Out events as well.

Because he's been offering that service, and Provisions by Pure, Houghton waited until 10 days ago to reopen Pure Market and Eatery for indoor dining. Conversely, he has suspended the home meal service to focus on the restaurant, he said, and plans to add an ordering system to its website soon. Business has been slow so far, but he believes it's too early to come to any conclusions.

One thing that will improve business is increased awareness that Pure Market and Eatery is open, Houghton said. Simmons agreed that's been a challenge of running a restaurant during a pandemic.

"We still get calls every week, several actually, wondering if we're open for indoor dining. There are a lot of people who just aren't sure which restaurants are and aren't open," he said. "But we're fortunate, like all Auburn restaurateurs, to have such a loyal following of people who want to come out and support you."

Both Simmons and Houghton said they have received additional support in the form of Paycheck Protection Program and other loans for their restaurants. As their business has dropped, the cost of doing it has done the opposite due to the state's COVID-19 guidance: Balloons and A.T. Walley go through $50 boxes of masks in days, and the cost and scarcity of gloves makes them a headache for Houghton. The online ordering systems that have become all but essential for restaurants today also come with significant costs, Simmons noted, and more sanitation means higher payroll.

As his restaurants accumulate debt to meet those expenses, Simmons would like to see the government provide some relief. He hopes Congress passes the , which was introduced in the House of Representatives in June. It would establish a fund for, as its title says, the "unique restaurant assistance needed to survive." The fund would also prioritize marginalized communities and assist only food and beverage businesses with annual revenue of less than $1.5 million. After bailouts for and others, Simmons believes it's his industry's turn.

"We need help. And the toughest part is ahead of us — the trickle-down effect we're not going to know for quite some time," he said. "I really believe the hospitality industry needs a bailout."

Government relief might be the only thing that can help restaurants, too. Even if New York rescinded all of its COVID-19 guidance tomorrow, Houghton said, "the damage has been done" after three months of takeout and delivery only, then another three months of limited dining. But if that relief never comes, he's still hopeful his restaurant and others can endure.

"It's going to take a lot of time," he said. "But I'm still positive we can get to the other side. We'll do our best."