Wait to reopen? Some NYC shops run out of patience

NEW YORK (AP) — In a city famous for its lack of patience, some businesses have jumped ahead on what's supposed to be a slow and methodical emergence from coronavirus lockdown.

Stores in parts of the New York City have already started to allow customers inside to shop, even though the phased reopening that began Monday only allows retailers to sell merchandise via curbside pickup for now.

At least a dozen customers perused racks of women’s clothing Wednesday inside Mini-Max in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood.

Shoppers mostly self-policed for social distancing, which wasn’t difficult given the store’s size, but the only restriction applied by owner, Albert Abeal, was that customers must wear masks.

“We just opened. Everybody’s hungry for merchandise,” said Abeal, who has owned the store for about 20 years. He said business this week had essentially returned to normal, although he didn’t expect that to last. “They didn’t buy clothes for so long. It’s going to slow down in a week.”

Abeal said he believed he was allowed to have customers inside because it sold face masks and alcohol, although the latter did not appear to be on display. Food and beverage stores have always been exempt from the state's closure rules.

Other shops in the neighborhood were also letting in customers.

Mutali Sing, owner of J&M Sneaker, stood at his shop’s door and encouraged customers to call ahead for curbside pickup, but said he’s had trouble enforcing the policy.

“Once they see you are open, they think you are open like normal, like you can walk in and do the browsing,” he said.

He’s hardly in a position to turn them away -- not with his landlord demanding he continue paying his $8,000 monthly rent.

Customers are not supposed to be permitted...