Diners, Businesses Appreciative Of Downtown Marketplace

Press release from the Glen Cove Downtown Business Improvement District:

June 25 2020

Glen Cove, NY – When restaurants were allowed to provide outdoor dining earlier this month, Glen Cove businesses not only jumped on board, but took it a step further in the downtown area: The city closes School Street and Glen Street three nights a week to provide additional outdoor seating for customers. Dubbed the Downtown Marketplace, the goal is to bring people downtown to patronize the businesses.

The closures, from 6 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, give restaurants within the Downtown Business Improvement District more space to accommodate the dinner crowd, and so far, the move has been a positive one for businesses that have been struggling since the pandemic forced them to close to diners in March.

According to Frank Bilello, owner of the year-old brewery Noble Savage on Glen Street, Glen Cove's street closures have been “a major lifeline” for the young business.

“Without the extra seating capacity, our sales would continue to be limited,” Bilello said. “Seating in the road has been tremendously popular and is allowing our residents and customers to safely experience the brewery. We hope it continues as a summer tradition and builds on the culture we've been cultivating here in downtown Glen Cove.”

For The Downtown Café on School Street, which typically attracts people to its outdoor tables in the summer, utilizing the street has helped them expand their seating capacity.

“The street closure has helped our restaurant out tremendously by giving us more space to seat people at a safe, healthy distance,” said owner John Zozzaro. “It’s also great to see people out and about again, while still being vigilant of their surroundings.”

Zozzaro is on the board of directors of the Glen Cove Downtown Business Improvement District and in May, he and BID Executive Director Patricia Holman canvassed downtown restaurants to see how likely they would be to participate if the streets were closed. Most were eager, so Holman brought the idea to Mayor Tim Tenke, who was receptive, and helped ensure participants got their permits for outdoor seating.

“I am so glad we are able to close the streets for our downtown business owners so they can get back business,” Tenke said. “We encourage our residents to come down and enjoy a great dining experience and support our local businesses. I am very thankful to Patricia Holman, the BID, our building department, police and auxiliary police for making this happen so quickly and safely. I am proud of everyone’s hard work.”

In addition to Noble Savage and The Downtown Café, outdoor seating in the street is offered at American Café, La Bussola, La Famiglia, Macchu Picchu, El Tazumal, Simpliciti Café and Marle’s Café.

“I have eaten in the streets of the downtown two weeks in a row and it’s very heartening to see so many people out and about in our downtown. I hope residents continue to enjoy dining in our streets,” said Councilwoman Danielle Fugazy Scagliola. “It’s crucial that we help our restaurants get back to business after such a tough time. I look forward to dining in the streets continuing—maybe even after the restrictions are lifted.”

Holman also said she is hopeful that this will continue.
“Between the loss of regular business over the past three months and the cancelation of special events this season, our restaurants are really hurting, and we had to find another way to support them,” Holman said. “We’re hoping this becomes a yearly event, and that it grows to include more downtown businesses, as well as a potential showcase for handcrafted businesses.

This press release was produced by the Glen Cove Downtown Business Improvement District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.