Restaurants on the Island will soon be able to increase their indoor seating capacity a sizable portion from where they've been.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has allowed restaurants in the state outside of New York City to operate indoors at 75% capacity starting March 19. Restaurants are currently at 50% capacity.

Cuomo did not indicate that the current 35% limit for restaurants in New York City would rise.

He says he thinks 75% is what the consumer is ready for.

One restaurant owner News 12 told News 12 it's a step in the right direction.

"I think it's a good step forward. I mean more people are getting vaccinated so people feeling safer. I think it's important to be safe and continue to do the same stuff we've been doing and just staying on top of everything," says Pete Glykos. "But this could be able to give us the opportunity to bring back more staff in the front of the house and in the kitchen and kind of get some normalcy back."

But Mike Glavatovic, of Gusto Divino Trattoria, says the increased cap will only help a little bit.

"I think we should be open 100% and let the customer decide for their own safety," he says.

Dr. Sharon Nachman, of Stony Brook University Hospital, says while it is great news, people still need to be cautious.

"We still have to take a step back and say have we been vaccinated? Where are we going, who else is going to be there, and how close are we sitting to each other?" she says.

The governor did mention the plan to increase restaurant capacity would be canceled if coronavirus numbers start to go up again.