OVERVIEW

The Restaurant Industry continues their push for action, at all levels of government to help to save an industry in crisis. COVID-19 hit the restaurant industry hard, forcing some into permanent closure, and all into massive scale-backs. We have been cooperative with new official protocols and have rapidly adapted to the ‘new normal’ public health officials have enforced upon us. However, restaurants still need relief despite the progress with reopening. On behalf of the restaurant industry in New York City, we have come together to provide concrete recommendations and insight on what we need from our government officials to remain afloat. These recommendations are essential for the industry and the 300,000 folks we employ across the city.

WHAT WE NEED

• While some bars and restaurants are relieved with new allowances for 25% indoor capacity, many are not and see no way to operate in that model. Restaurants need options to make viable business decisions based on their size and configuration. We would also like to see:
  • Guidance: Clear cut guidance on interior dining and ample time to comply without fines.
  • Industry Representation: Real representation from restaurant operators in drafting these regulations.
  • NYC Specific Costs: Elimination of extra costs such as air filtration systems that aren’t required of other regions of NYS.
  • Regulatory Transparency: Transparency around the responsibility of indoor dining regulations.
  • Enclosed Sidwalk Cafes: The ability to install enclosed sidewalk cafes (large vestibules) to increase indoor dining capacity. 
• Year Long Exterior Dining has been implemented however we still require guidance for the following:
  • Restaurants need a return on investment for parking platforms. Cash strapped businesses cannot be mandated to breakdown, store, and rebuild these platforms on June 1st, 2021.
  • Nice weather is frequent from November to May. From Nov 1st, 2019 through May 31st, 2020, there were 49 days above 60 degrees and 29 days above 65. The season before, there were 56 days above 60 degrees in that same time frame.
  • During the height of the pandemic, from March to June 2020, residents did not have to move their cars for street cleaning. Public health and economic recovery has proven more important than parking and should remain a top priority.
  • Businesses have proven they will upkeep these spaces in their community: They are already responsible for maintaining the sidewalks in front of their space in a timely manner or face fines from DSNY. They can shovel, salt, and sand their street dining platforms or face the same fines.
•  A streamlined approval process for Enclosed Sidewalk Cafes
  • Quick self-approval process similar to the “Open Restaurants Program” that allows for the installation of Enclosed Sidewalk Cafes. These large vestibules will create a larger interior footprint, more room for social distancing and draw heat from a restaurant’s interior.
  • Guidance on propane heaters for outdoor dining as a temporary lifeline for the upcoming year.
• Hours of Operation for Interior/Exterior dining must be extended AND mirror one another
  • Pre-pandemic, the DCA allowed restaurants to stay open until 1am with approval from the SLA. Hours of operation should be restored to 1am for indoor and outdoor dining.
  • Allowing interior dining later than exterior dining, as in the most recently released guidance, will breed confusion for operators and guests, further complicating compliance.
• Allow Restaurants to extend outdoor dining past their property lines
  • With landlord and surrounding business owner’s approval, restaurants should be able to extend seating on the SWC and Parking Lanes where possible.  This will give businesses greater seating capacity, greater social distancing ability, and greater authority to control crowds (both guests and non-guests) that congregate on the public property surrounding their businesses.
•  Readjust the ‘no bar service’ mandate
  • People are served over the counters at the deli, bank, hardware store, etc.  We urge the governor and mayor to consider allowing bars to be used for serving takeout and delivery to separate traffic from indoor table service. Some restaurants have massive bars and those designs will impact business if it can’t be utilized in some form. 

In these unprecedented times we would still like to hear from our city officials on:

1. Why can leases and rent continue to be enforced while we were forced to shut down and reduce our services? 
2. Why are we still paying our SLA liquor license fees in full when we cannot stay open past 11pm? 
3. Why are we being forced to continue to pay our massive insurance premiums when the insurance companies all hid behind pandemic clauses so they could absolve themselves of all responsibility? 
4. Why were small business owners forced to rehire staff that they did not need; many of whom refused to come to work, in order to receive any relief from the government?

The Hospitality Industry, is a leader in public health. Food & Beverage, along with their supply chains, are heavily scrutinized with oversight by multiple agencies. We are especially accustomed to upholding health standards and implementing systems that keep our guests and our staff healthy. The Hospitality Industry is exposed to the court of public opinion like no other industry and we have to uphold high standards so our employees and customers are safe.  

Our industry is also a leader in promoting diversity and inclusion. We have a proven track record stretching for decades on both counts.  Since March, we have experienced first-hand the reality of this pandemic.  Our neighborhoods, our communities, and our industry have been devastated by COVID in far worse ways than many other communities and industries in NYC.  The solutions we have outlined and the guidance we are requesting are a direct response to the suffering we have witnessed first-hand.

If you are a NYC restaurant/bar owner please add below in your 'Reasons for Signing' the following information: 

Your Business(es) Name:    
Your Business(es) Address:                                                                 I am a minority-owned business
and/or I am a women-owned business 

This data will help us show City officials the diversity of businesses in their district that need their support.  We ask that you share this petition to fellow business owners and on your social media platforms.