All that's keeping most New York City restaurants going during the COVID-19 pandemic is being allowed to serve people on sidewalks tables, barely enough but the famed Greek-American run The Cozy Soup 'n Burger has tried to make theirs like being outdoors at a restaurant in Greece. 

Manager John Stratidis told Spectrum News there's no option and he said he's also now a waiter, host, and cashier since the popular spot reopened after a five-month shutdown he thought would be two weeks. 

“We're hurting, you know, we're suffering,” said Stratidis, who has worked at the diner since he was 9-years-old, now running it for his father Mike and Uncle George, immigrants from Greece who opened it in Greenwich Village in 1972. 

It's a favorite too of celebrities, including the late Telly Savalas, and the wall features the famous who've eaten there, among those who can't get enough of the burgers and split pea soup with Greek olive oil. 

Stratidis said that the sidewalk seating is critical since there's a limit of 25 percent capacity for indoor dining but combined business has been cut in half at least.