NEW YORK — Before the pandemic, Whitestone Lanes manager Raymond Watkins said there would be a dozen or so lanes in use during midday on a Friday. But on Friday, the bowling alley was empty.

For the past two years, business has been in the gutter. Watkins said starting on Monday he won't need to check for proof of vaccination of bowlers. He said he hopes the lanes will be busy once again.

“People will be calling, 'Do you require this? Yes, yes.' Just the way they respond after that, 'OK,' click. It is like OK, no bowling tonight so I think this is going to make a difference,” Watkins said.

What You Need To Know

  • The city’s "Key to NYC" vaccine mandate comes to an end on Monday

  • Individual businesses can still decide to keep mandates in place if they choose

  • "Key to NYC" applied to restaurants, theaters, gyms, bars and more

Mayor Eric Adams announced on Friday that beginning Monday businesses will no longer be mandated to check the vaccination status of every patron.

Though each establishment can still decide to keep the rules in place, at Whitestone Lanes, the signs outlining the policy will be taken down.

Most customers are families with young kids, who have a lower vaccination rate. The bowling alley will no longer be checking.

“We can breathe easily, and the fact that they have their fingers on the pulse if there is any change in the other direction, it would not be a problem to come back,“ Watkins said.

Lifting the vaccination requirements is also welcome news for Luis Novas, the owner of The Row Astoria, a boutique gym in Queens.

“It is too much of an administrative process for us,” Novas said. “We have to get resources to have that new process to be in compliance so now they they are removing it, awesome and we can make the class awesome.”

While Novas says he will do away with vaccination checks, he says he will keep some COVID protocols going forward. Before the pandemic he said he would typically lead classes of 18. Now, he maxes out at 12.

“We have 12 people but, we have an outdoor area, we open the door, we can actually open up all the doors," he said. "It really allows more airflow where is feels like it is an outdoor class inside so people feel safe."

Business owners said they hope that as more normalcy returns, their regular customer base will come back as well.