NYC Restaurant Owners Seek Help From Albany For Help Reopening

NEW YORK CITY — Like many New York City restaurateurs, Danny Abrams found himself needing to temporarily shutter his business during the coronavirus pandemic rather than try to struggle with dealing with constantly changing restrictions.

But closing down The Mermaid Inn for a time also meant surrendering his liquor license, which now could present a problem as he looks to reopen along with the rest of New York City. Getting his own liquor license back, however, could take up to six months if legislation does not offer a solution that would allow him to get his license back without having to wait.

Without such relief from Albany, Abrams said Monday, he would possibly be forced to permanently close, which is a reality many restaurant owners are facing more than a year after the pandemic began. With just about 12 days remaining in the legislative session, the New York City Hospitality Alliance is calling on lawmakers to pass three bills which would help business owners like Abrams who are trying to recover coming out of the pandemic.

The push for legislation to be passed comes as New York City's 12 a.m. curfew for outdoor is being lifted on Monday, two weeks after bar patrons were permitted to returning to their favorite watering holes after more than a year. But as the city begins to reopen, restaurant owners are seeking help in getting back on their feet as the buzz continues as the city moves closer to fully reopening.

“It doesn’t make any sense to miss this whole summer season, it doesn’t make sense to miss the excitement that I’m seeing around town right now,” Abrams said in a Zoom news conference on Monday.

Andrew Rigie, the executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, said Monday that officials from the Alliance remain cautiously optimistic that the restaurant industry will be able to bounce back from more than a year of struggling under COVID-19 restrictions.

He, along with other officials, said Monday that the passage of three bills would go a long way in helping restaurant owners. In addition to the issuing of temporary liquor license to new restaurants, a push is being made for lawmakers to pass what Rigie called “intentional policies” to allow restaurateurs to move forward.

The Alliance and its members are also seeking legislation that would expand an executive order signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, which allows for restaurants to deliver alcohol along with food to customers who order delivery from city restaurants. The ability to have alcohol delivered has become a “lifeline” to restaurants, Rigie said. The third piece of legislation would allow restaurants to continue to offer outdoor alcohol service to customers who have made outdoor dining a part of their routine during the pandemic.

New York City officials have announced that outdoor dining will become permanent, and the Alliance is working with the city to have alcohol sales be part of that, Rigie said. Before the pandemic, the Hospitality Alliance reports that there were less than 1,500 licensed outdoor dining establishments in New York City.

Now, there are 11,000 restaurants which have expanded to include outdoor dining as part of an emergency program established last year, Rob Bookman, the co-founder of the Hospitality Alliance said. While many New Yorkers have become accustomed to outdoor dining, having the option to offer service outside of restaurants has been critical to restaurant survival, business owners said.

“I am here to tell you that outdoor dining was a lifeline —not just to me, but also for my employees and more importantly, to my community,” Melba Wilson, owner of Melba’s Restaurant in Harlem and president of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, said Monday.

Wilson said that outdoor dining allowed her business to remain open and to keep her workers employed. But it also helped local residents find some sense of normalcy, which she wants to see continue moving forward. But she needs help.

“Outdoor dining is not going to help my small business or any other small business if we’re not able to sell and serve a glass of wine outdoors,” Wilson said.

The issuance of temporary liquor licenses occurs across New York State, but is not available to business owners in the city, Rigie said. State Sen. Jessica Ramos is sponsoring the bill that would allow for the issuance of temporary liquor licenses and said passing the three bills that would help restaurants would help to revitalize the local economy, she said Monday.

Officials said that the state liquor commission is able to issue temporary licenses to establishments around New York State, but not to those who operate in New York City. That needs to change along with other provisions which would be covered under the legislation that exists and that needs passage and Cuomo's signature.

The passage of the bills would help businesses to not only survive, but to thrive, Ramos said.

But if no action is taken, Alliance officials said that restaurant owners like Abrams could face more uncertainty and struggles — both of which would be alleviated from some help from state lawmakers.

“We don’t need policies that make it harder and harder for small businesses to open up,” Rigie said.