Restaurants in the city will expand dining March 19, the highest capacity has been since the start of pandemic. Here's what to know.

NEW YORK, NY — New York City is adding more to the indoor dining menu this weekend.

Capacity for New York City restaurants will expand from 35 percent to 50 percent on Friday, the highest level it's been since the start of the pandemic.

It comes several weeks after New York City eateries were allowed to welcome 25 percent, then 35 percent, of customers back inside in February for the first time since December, when an impending second wave of the virus prompted new lockdown measures.

The expansion to 50 percent, which will also apply to New Jersey restaurants, come as the state monitors low coronavirus infection rates and expanded vaccinations.

Before you make a reservation, here's what you should know:

What are the basics?

New York City and New Jersey restaurants can increase their capacity from 35 percent to 50 percent starting on Friday, March 19. The restaurants will still need to follow an 11 p.m. curfew — an hour later than the 10 p.m. curfew last month — though takeout and delivery will be available past that time.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said the state will reevaluate the curfew in April.

Will this affect outdoor dining?

Outdoor dining will continue for the 30,000-plus restaurants in the city's Open Restaurants program. Some neighborhoods have even started transforming their streets to outdoor dining destinations again as the city welcomes spring.

Why is it expanding?

Restaurant owners and some elected officials have long pushed for more dining capacity in New York City.

The city's restaurants have been barred from, or had less capacity, than the rest of the state throughout the pandemic due to its increased density. The increase to 50 percent is still less than outside the New York City area, where eateries can offer 75 percent capacity.

Industry leaders have said lower capacity rates are a threat to helping already-struggling restaurants survive.

New York City's restaurant industry has lost 140,000 jobs since the pandemic began and more than 1,000 restaurants have closed their doors for good, according to officials.

They have said that 50-percent capacity will help, but are still pushing for New York City to come in line with the rest of the state.

"Cautiously and safely increasing indoor dining capacity at New York City restaurants to 50%, with an eye toward expanding in the future, more vaccinations, and dedicated restaurant relief on its way from the federal government gives our industry some optimism among all the doom and gloom of this past year," said Andrew Rigie, who heads the NYC Hospitality Alliance.

Is it safe?

New York has been monitoring the impact of indoor dining on the state and city's coronavirus levels since eateries started welcoming back customers in February.

Since then, two COVID-19 incubation periods have passed without any significant rise in infection and hospitalization rates, according to a governor's office.

The city's coronavirus positivity rate stood at 4.1 percent as of Wednesday, still higher than, but not far behind the state's overall 3.41 percent rate, according to Cuomo.

The new capacity rules are also based on the continued expansion of the state's coronavirus vaccine distribution. On Wednesday, New York marked 7 million doses of the coronavirus vaccines.

Still, there have been those that are skeptical.

City Council Member Mark Levine, who chairs its health committee, pushed in February for the government to offer restaurants financial assistance rather than reopening them. He has particularly pointed to the number of COVID-19 variants.