STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- This morning about 100 Staten Island and Brooklyn restaurant owners met in Bay Ridge at the Salty Dog to talk about where things are in the food industry.
Politicians from Brooklyn were in attendance, as was Rep. Max Rose, whose district includes a section of Brooklyn along with Staten Island.
Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, who also represents a slice of Brooklyn in addition to the East Shore, dialed into the unofficial town hall.
“We’re not criminals. We just want to go back to work. We want to open safely and responsibly. If we’re not heard, something is going to happen. We’re talking about mass openings, citywide protests," said Rob DeLuca, owner of DeLuca’s Italian Restaurant in Tottenville and the unofficial spokesman for a new restaurant lobbying group dubbed I.R.O.A.R. -- Independent Restaurant Owners Association Rescue.
“We’re kind of like the Avengers of the restaurant world,” DeLuca said with a chuckle.
But seriously, he said, “There will be tens of thousands of people outside City Hall next week if the mayor and governor’s offices won’t get on the phone with us. We want a reopening date that’s not going to change. We’re tired of the goal post being moved. We’re tired of being pushed aside."
DeLuca said “We want to open June 22 at 50% capacity. That’s the level of conversation right now.”
The 22nd is when food trucks, concessions and restaurants can open for alfresco dining with certain guidelines.
At the moment still, it’s takeout and delivery only for New York City restaurants, including Staten Island despite the borough having the lowest overall rate of COVID-19-infection (although the second highest per capita rate) in the Big Apple, as pointed out by colleague and author of the award-winning #fyiSI series, Kristin Dalton.
The Salty Dog gathering is one of several such meetings these past few weeks among restaurant owners. Themes are pretty much the same: everyone is anxious to open immediately but no one wants to face thousands of dollars in fines or risk losing a liquor license for violating any laws.
There is talk of restaurants just opening for alfresco and indoor dining room service with social distancing and adherence to the New York State regulations. This would happen well before Phase 3 in mid-July when dining rooms can partially reopen.
“If everyone does it, it’s a stand for small business owners who have responsibilities to families and staff,” DeLuca declared.
Restaurants like Blue have a great advantage post-pandemic with established outdoor dining areas. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel) Staff-Shot
And yet opening currently brings up a slew of oddball issues. Do we go forward with plastic utensils or trust that our dish machines will kill viruses as we always have with properly functioning equipment? To tent or not to tent over the sidewalk or parking lot?
On the cutlery issue, Mary Ann Gall Manzella of Westerleigh suggests BYOU -- bring your own utensils.
DeLuca is not having the disposable thing. It just doesn’t cut it -- literally -- when you’re talking about upscale dining service and digging into, say, a fine, juicy porterhouse steak, he says.
As for the tents, Mariners Harbor-based Everything Entertainment owner Scott Weisberg says that after months of dramatically reduced sales, “These restaurant owners can’t afford anything.”
While Weisberg is in the same boat of diminished receipts as all catered functions have been cancelled or postponed, he’s struck deals with restaurant owners that practically give away his product and service. Yet even in that bottom-line price scenario the restaurants can’t part with additional outlay that could amount to thousands between the permits, an architect, possibly an expeditor to help things along with the Building Department plus the cost of renting the tent themselves.
“Any temporary tent or canopy that is more than 400 gross square feet requires a Work Permit,” confirmed Andrew Rudansky, spokesperson for the Building Department.
Yes, the expenses continue with the city. Restaurant owners on the South Shore like Cole’s Dockside in Great Kills have fumed over continued inspections. He received a visit from the FDNY over a hood issue.
Entrepreneurs were under the impression that they could not do construction work during the quarantine period of the pandemic. On the contrary, Rudansky said, that moratorium from March 30 to June 8 of non-essential construction projects did allow correction of violations and emergency work.
“I did not know that. I’m someone who has been watching this every day,” said DeLuca. Several other owners voiced the same sentiment.
Rudansky said, “Yes, we approved thousands of Essential Construction Requests across the city for various essential projects and emergency work.”
The spokesman added, “Also, the Governor’s Executive Order halting non-essential construction did not apply for work performed by a lone individual. So if only one person was working on the job (for example a licensed fire suppression contractor), that wouldn’t have been affected by the Executive Order at all.”
Rep. Max Rose said, "Small businesses of every kind did what was asked of them and the Mayor paid them back by forming eighteen commissions, giving zero guidance, and inexcusable arrogance. Small businesses can’t just flip on a switch and serve customers on day one, especially bars and restaurants. They needed guidance two months ago, and somehow they still don’t have it. The complete lack of understanding and empathy for what they are going through is government sanctioned cruelty.”
Malliotakis told the Advance after the Salty Dog meeting: “We should be reevaluating everyone’s property taxes. One way to provide relief is to not require property taxes. Small landlords and homeowners with properties that have businesses that were forced to close, give them some kind of relief, at least freeze collection and waive penalty fees.”
The view from the Tiki Bar at Marina Cafe in Great Kills which will open this week for to go. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri) Staff-ShotStaff-Shot
Tavern owners had heard the Health Department was out on the Island yesterday.
“Does anyone know if it is the regular annual inspection or a special COVID compliance thing?” asked a South Shore owner.
It was neither, according to a spokesman for the agency.
“Restaurant inspections have not yet resumed,” he said.
He notes, “New York State has issued mandates and best practices for restaurants. NYC is developing materials to help restaurants implement the NYS requirements and will be emphasizing education before enforcement.”
Chickens in the coop: What's the area of the cage? (Photo by Andrew Cavagnaro)
I’m looking forward to returning to our Grasmere newsroom although right now that looks like it will be in September. For now, my desk is the kitchen table in West Brighton. So, we’ll end, once again, with a report from the homestead.
In a “Math Is All Around Us” project, Andrew came up with a problem to solve based on measurements of the chicken coop. He did something similar with the bunnies and their cages and took the pictures himself for the presentation. And James watched a virtual math lesson this morning while cozy under the covers in our bed.
Bunny image by Andrew Cavagnaro
We bought a fire pit that just arrived and the boys have grand plans for making S’mores and inviting neighbors over for ghost story sessions. Since everyone’s been around all the time on the block during the quarantine we’ve all become such good friends. While New York City wakes up around us these things tell me we truly have anchored ourselves at home. At least this week the kids were out of pajamas by lunchtime.
Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.
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