Food & Dining

NYC restaurants can charge diners an extra 10 percent fee during COVID-19 pandemic

Photo by 6sqft

September 17, 2020

NYC restaurants can charge diners an extra 10 percent fee during COVID-19 pandemic

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Restaurants in New York City can charge diners a fee of up to 10 percent of the total bill for in-person dining under new legislation passed by the City Council on Wednesday. The "COVID-19 Recovery Charge" aims to offset losses businesses have suffered since the start of the health crisis in March. The surcharge will be permitted until 90 days after full indoor dining resumes. Gov. Andrew Cuomo this month said indoor dining can reopen on September 30 at 25 percent capacity.
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Hoboken releases plan to extend outdoor dining through the winter

Expanded outdoor dining on 14th Street through Hoboken’s Summer Streets, courtesy of Mayor Bhalla’s office

September 16, 2020

Hoboken releases plan to extend outdoor dining through the winter

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Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla seems to always be one step ahead of his counterpart in NYC when it comes to social COVID preparations. And this time, he's planning to extend outdoor dining straight through to 2021. Yesterday, Mayor Bhalla and the Hoboken City Council released guidelines on safe, outdoor heating options, application information for businesses to continue participating, and procedures on snow removal.
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87 streets in NYC are now car-free outdoor dining destinations

Rockwell Group’s DineOut NYC in Manhattan’s Chinatown; Photo courtesy of Emily Andrews for Rockwell Group

September 14, 2020

87 streets in NYC are now car-free outdoor dining destinations

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Even as the city prepares to resume indoor dining this month, more restaurants will be able to take advantage of the program that allows expanded street and sidewalk seating. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week seven new locations for outdoor dining on open streets across the five boroughs, bringing the total to 87 streets and nine pedestrian plazas designated for restaurant use on weekends. The latest batch of outdoor dining streets will be overseen by a number of neighborhood restaurants, including Gertie's in Williamsburg, Kheo-Yo in Tribeca, Ray's Bar on the Lower East Side, and others.
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New York City will open indoor dining on September 30

Photo by Marcus Herzberg from Pexels

September 9, 2020

New York City will open indoor dining on September 30

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Restaurants in New York City will be able to resume indoor dining on September 30, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday. Capacity will be limited to 25 percent with strict coronavirus-related regulations in place. In addition to the task force led by the State Liquor Authority, the city will provide 400 inspectors to oversee compliance at restaurants. Cuomo said the state will also rely on city residents to report any violations. "I believe in New Yorkers to do the right thing," the governor said during a press briefing.
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Cuomo says indoor dining could resume with an NYPD task force enforcing COVID-19 rules

St. Marks Place outdoor dining; Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

September 3, 2020

Cuomo says indoor dining could resume with an NYPD task force enforcing COVID-19 rules

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Indoor dining could resume in New York City only if police are able to enforce compliance of coronavirus regulations at restaurants, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday. During a call with reporters, the governor said he could allow restaurants to open for indoor dining if the city creates a task force of NYPD officers designated to oversee compliance. Cuomo said he plans to discuss the issue with City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who on Wednesday called for an immediate start of indoor dining, which has been allowed in every region in the state except the five boroughs.
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New program asks architects to help design outdoor dining spaces for NYC restaurants

Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

September 2, 2020

New program asks architects to help design outdoor dining spaces for NYC restaurants

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Outdoor dining has offered a much-needed lifeline to many New York City restaurants struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic. But creating a space on city streets and sidewalks that is both inviting to diners and meets the city's safety standards comes at a cost. To help restaurants reopen, the city's Economic Development Corporation partnered with NYCxDesign, the American Institute of Architects, and the Center for Architecture to launch an online network that connects restaurants with architects and designers willing to provide design help for free.
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300+ restaurants sign on for $2B lawsuit over New York’s indoor dining ban

By Pictures of Money via Flickr cc

September 1, 2020

300+ restaurants sign on for $2B lawsuit over New York’s indoor dining ban

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The plot continues to thicken over when and if indoor dining will resume in New York City, with New Jersey starting indoor restaurant operations this Friday and Mayor de Blasio hinting that it won't return in the city until a COVID vaccine is approved. And now, a group of 337 restaurants has signed on to a lawsuit that is seeking $2 billion from the city and state. As Crain's reported, the main plaintiff is 28-year-old Queens Italian restaurant Il Bacco, which is just 500 feet over the Nassau County border where restaurants were allowed to reopen indoor dining.
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66-year-old East Village restaurant Veselka shares its COVID struggles

Photo of Veselka by James and Karla Murray for 6sqft. See more here >>

September 1, 2020

66-year-old East Village restaurant Veselka shares its COVID struggles

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After closing in March, Veselka reopened for takeout and delivery at the end of April, and both their main location and their secondary spot in the Market Line food hall are open for outdoor dining. But like so many others across the city, the 66-year-old Ukrainian restaurant is struggling without indoor dining. In a video interview with photographers James and Karla Murray, second-generation co-owner Tom Birchard said, "We need to have more tables than we have right now to survive long-term."
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New Jersey will open indoor dining and movie theaters for Labor Day weekend

Photo of Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten by cogito ergo imago on Flickr

August 31, 2020

New Jersey will open indoor dining and movie theaters for Labor Day weekend

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Much like his decision to open beaches ahead of Memorial Day weekend, Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey will allow indoor dining to resume across his state this Friday, just ahead of Labor Day weekend. In a Tweet this morning, Murphy said that restaurants and bars can begin operating indoors at 25-percent capacity with social distancing in between tables. In a later press conference, he also announced that movie theaters and other indoor performance venues can reopen on September 4.
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NYC Council extends cap on food delivery fees until indoor dining resumes

Photo by Patrick Connor Klopf on Unsplash

August 28, 2020

NYC Council extends cap on food delivery fees until indoor dining resumes

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The New York City Council on Thursday voted to extend the cap on commissions that restaurants are charged by third-party delivery services. The legislation, first enacted in May, restricts fees services like Grubhub and Uber Eats can charge to 20 percent per order during a state of emergency. The cap will now be in effect until restaurants are able to resume indoor dining at maximum occupancy and 90 days following. There is still no plan to bring back indoor dining, despite the city meeting the state's coronavirus metrics.
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Krispy Kreme unveils new Times Square flagship

All photos courtesy of Krispy Kreme

August 26, 2020

Krispy Kreme unveils new Times Square flagship

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Just like their doughnuts, Krispy Kreme says its new 24-hour Times Square flagship will be "fresh and one-of-a-kind." Opening on September 15, the massive, immersive new shop will feature the world's largest glaze waterfall, a doughnut-making theater, and the ability to produce 4,560 doughnuts an hour.
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Car-free blocks with diverse outdoor dining options open in Queens

DineOut opens in Jackson Heights; Photo by Kamila Harris for Rockwell Group

August 24, 2020

Car-free blocks with diverse outdoor dining options open in Queens

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Two neighborhoods in Queens hit especially hard by the coronavirus are slowly getting back on their feet thanks to a new communal dining experience. David Rockwell and his firm Rockwell Group unveiled last week two new community outdoor dining areas on car-free blocks in the Queens neighborhoods of Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, part of the firm's DineOut initiative. Both communities, which are considered to be among the most diverse neighborhoods in New York City, offer a variety of cuisines, including Tibetan, Nepali, Indian, Thai, and more.
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Murray’s Cheese opens a new flagship in Long Island City

Photo by Emily Andrews for the Rockwell Group

August 20, 2020

Murray’s Cheese opens a new flagship in Long Island City

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When Murray's Cheese first opened in a small storefront on Cornelia Street 80 years ago, they primarily sold milk, eggs, and butter. After becoming a Greenwich Village institution, Murray's has since expanded, moving to a larger storefront across on Bleecker Street in 2004, and opening a location in Grand Central and cheese-aging caves in Long Island, where the business just announced they'll be opening a new shop and restaurant. According to a press release, "Murray’s Cheese Bar LIC will be the restaurant’s flagship location and its first-ever full-service bar, with an adjacent cheese shop offering more than 400 specialty items."
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NYC restaurant group threatens lawsuit over indoor dining ban

Courtesy of the Times Square Alliance

August 20, 2020

NYC restaurant group threatens lawsuit over indoor dining ban

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Although New York City's coronavirus infection rate hit an all-time low this week since the start of the pandemic at 0.24 percent and reopening plans for museums, schools, and bowling alleys have been announced, there is still no return date for indoor dining. The New York City Hospitality Alliance, a group representing the city's restaurants and nightlife venues, called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio this week to develop a plan to resume indoor dining in New York City, the only region in the state to not permit it. During a press conference on Wednesday, the group said they are considering suing over the indoor dining ban, which they see as unlawful, according to Crain's.
Details here
150 NYC restaurants with outdoor dining

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim via Flickr cc

August 11, 2020

150 NYC restaurants with outdoor dining

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With outdoor dining in New York City extended through October, there are countless spots to dine al fresco, with restaurants able to set up seating on sidewalks, adjacent parking spots, rooftops, and gardens. To help you decide where to eat first, we've begun compiling a list of some of the best restaurants offering outdoor dining, neighborhood by neighborhood. This is by no means an exhaustive list, so we hope that you, our readers, will share more restaurants with us that we can add to this list.
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David Chang, Tom Colicchio, and others propose ‘Safe and Just Reopening Plan’ for restaurants

Photo by Marcus Herzberg from Pexels

August 10, 2020

David Chang, Tom Colicchio, and others propose ‘Safe and Just Reopening Plan’ for restaurants

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Despite the outward success of outdoor dining, New York City's restaurant industry is struggling. A report from the NYC Hospitality Alliance found that 83 percent of restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and event venues did not pay their full July rent, and last week, unemployed Americans lost the $600 bonus to their unemployment checks. And with indoor dining on hold indefinitely, there seems to be no clear path forward. This is why nearly 50 restaurant owners in the city, including David Chang, Tom Collichio, and Danny Meyer, have penned a letter to Governor Cuomo outlining their four-part "Safe and Just Reopening Plan" that most notably calls for eliminating the tipped minimum wage.
Learn about the whole plan here
UrbanSpace will open a new food hall at Union Square tech hub

Rendering of Zero Irving courtesy of RAL Development Services

August 7, 2020

UrbanSpace will open a new food hall at Union Square tech hub

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Pioneering food hall operator Urbanspace is opening its latest outpost at Union Square reports the NY Post. They've leased 10,000 square feet at Zero Irving, the contested tech hub on 14th Street that will serve as office space, a technology training center and incubator, co-working spaces, and an event space when it opens in the first half of 2021.
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Krispy Kreme opens in Harlem with NYC’s first doughnut hot light
August 6, 2020

Krispy Kreme opens in Harlem with NYC’s first doughnut hot light

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There are a few things Krispy Kreme is known for--its melt-in-your-mouth glazed doughnuts, paper hats, and its "hot light," which lights up to show customers that doughnuts are hot out of the oven. This week, they opened their latest NYC outpost at 319 West 125th Street in Harlem, and it features the city's very first hot light. The shop will serve these right-off-the-line doughnuts at a production rate of more than 100 per hour.
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Eataly’s flowery rooftop to reopen with DIY gin drinks and summer dishes

Photo courtesy of Eataly

August 5, 2020

Eataly’s flowery rooftop to reopen with DIY gin drinks and summer dishes

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Eataly's 14th-floor rooftop in the Flatiron District has been transformed into a blooming greenhouse. Opening on Friday, Serra Fiorita by Birreria will bring Italian summer to Manhattan with a seasonal menu, build-your-own gin drinks, and a flowery decor inspired by a 3D paper book. Tables will be distanced, capacity will be limited, and reservations can be made on OpenTable to avoid crowding.
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You can lounge and dine at a rooftop ‘lawn’ at the South Street Seaport

Photo of The Greens courtesy of The Howard Hughes Corporation

August 4, 2020

You can lounge and dine at a rooftop ‘lawn’ at the South Street Seaport

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Social distancing guidelines have definitely gotten restaurants to be extra creative, like The Rooftop at Pier 17 which has just opened a new dining experience where guests can book one of 28 "mini-lawns." Called The Greens, the experience has transformed the South Street Seaport rooftop venue into private cabana-style plots, each of which can accommodate eight guests.
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Katz’s Deli launches its own local delivery service

Photo courtesy of Lower East Side Partnership

August 3, 2020

Katz’s Deli launches its own local delivery service

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Last month, Katz's Delicatessen opened for outdoor dining for the first time in its 132-year history. And last week, the legendary Lower East Side eatery launched its own local delivery service, dodging the excessive fees charged by third-party companies. As first reported by the Bowery Boogie, diners can order from Katz's classic menu directly from their website, including pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, matzoh ball soup, and square potato knishes.
More details here
De Blasio says outdoor dining will return to NYC next summer

Outdoor dining on West 71st Street between Central Park West and Columbus. Photo by 6sqft.

August 3, 2020

De Blasio says outdoor dining will return to NYC next summer

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In a press conference this morning, Mayor de Blasio announced that the city's popular Open Restaurants program will return on June 1, 2021, if not earlier in the spring. He recently expanded this year's outdoor dining program through October 31 after it was found to be successful and safe and after the state indefinitely postponed indoor dining in New York City. De Blasio said that an estimated 80,000 jobs from more than 9,000 participating businesses have been saved since the program launched on June 22 when the city entered phase two of reopening.
More details ahead
NYC’s latest set of outdoor dining open streets includes 13 blocks on the Upper West Side

Open streets outdoor dining along West 47th Street, photo by CityRealty

August 3, 2020

NYC’s latest set of outdoor dining open streets includes 13 blocks on the Upper West Side

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Open streets outdoor dining along West 47th Street, photo by CityRealty On Friday, Mayor de Blasio announced that an additional 15 locations would be closing to traffic and opening their streets for outdoor dining through a combination of the city's Open Streets and Open Restaurants programs. This brings the total to 62 participating streets. Some of the latest include 13 blocks along Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side, another stretch in Chinatown, Koreatown, a few in Noho/Soho, and five blocks along Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights. Since restaurants were first able to open for outdoor dining when phase two began on June 22, more than 9,500 have signed on to participate.
The full list of open streets
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