The Hardest Law To Believe In New York May Finally Be Ending — And It’s All About Whether You Can Dance While You Eat

Did you know that if you’ve been shimmying your shoulders or swaying your hips in a New York City restaurant, you’ve technically been...breaking the law?! No, we’re not kidding. Filling up on so many appetizers you question if you’ll even make a dent in your entree? Totally fine. Bopping your head back and forth while scarfing down said entree anyway? Absolutely not. In the city that never sleeps (and rarely stops moving), it’s hard to believe that dancing is still a legal no-no in many establishments. But Governor Kathy Hochul is officially setting out to make this reality a thing of the past. The “Dance Dance Revolution” ---------------------------- In her 2026 State of the State address, Hochul announced plans to overhaul the state’s liquor rules that essentially ban dancing at many restaurants and bars across the five boroughs. According to the Governor’s policy book: > To improve trust and transparency and cut red tape, Governor Hochul will charge SLA with allowing dancing by default in taverns and bars and creating a new hybrid restaurant-tavern license...Qualifying license types will continue to require community disclosure and comment periods for dancing and performance dancing consistent with statutory obligations. Why Is Dancing Illegal In The First Place? ------------------------------------------ It all comes down to the type of license a business holds. Currently, while dancing is allowed in bars and taverns (after a mountain of paperwork), it’s strictly forbidden under a standard restaurant license. Right now, if a business owner wants to operate as a restaurant but shaking their tail feather is of interest to them, they have to navigate a bureaucratic nightmare. But Hochul found the way around–hybrid options allow restaurant owners to offer a place for diners to salsa, limbo, hell even break out into the worm if they so desire, in addition to eating. Under the current law, applicants applying for bar and tavern licenses must explicitly request the chance to dance. Under Hochul’s proposal, bars and taverns would automatically have the right to dance, if the application is approved. She stated: > The new hybrid license type will bring more transparency to the community, as the license will accurately reflect the character of the establishment. The Hospitality Industry Is Already Cheering -------------------------------------------- Head of the New York State Restaurant Association applauded the proposal, with CEO Melissa Fleischut noting how there are “likely some restaurateurs who would want to do that,” adding how it creates “new opportunity by cutting through red tape.” Andrew Rigie, CEO of the NYC Hospitality Alliance on Hochul/Dancing, added: > New York City has already deregulated dancing and music, and it’s time for the state to follow suit and fully allow freedom of expression and economic development. We look forward to working with the Governor and the State Liquor Authority to develop meaningful reform.” If bartenders can shake their cocktails, we should be able to shake our butts! 🕺 Thanks for coming to our talk and here’s to hoping we’ll be doing the Electric Slide over our dessert menus very soon! Source: https://secretnyc.co/hochul-plans-overhaul-state-liquor-rules-that-ban-dancing-at-many-ny-restaurants/