Despite $4M in lost revenue, Queens Village catering hall is back in business
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Business and political leaders packed Antun’s in March during an annual event organized by the Queens Chamber of Commerce. It was the last gathering at the catering hall before the state and city instituted COVID-19 regulations. Photo courtesy of QCC
By David Brand
As they have for years, Queens political leaders and Democratic party functionaries convened at Antun’s banquet hall on Aug. 6 to sign off on the nominees for Supreme Court judgeships. The gatherings are usually upbeat rituals, filled with glad-handing, back-slapping and the palm-on-shoulder exchange of confidences between elected officials and influencers.
Not so this year. Attendees at the Queens County Democratic Party’s judicial convention sat in single chairs spaced seven-feet apart across the cavernous Queens Village catering hall. There was no food or drinks. Proximity, and even indoor toasts, are prohibited statewide.
“It was a strange experience to go there for what is usually a joyous, fun occasion with music and food and then have to stand apart from everybody and not be able to remove your mask,” said former City Councilmember Mark Weprin.
Weprin, a Democratic judicial delegate and a shareholder with Greenberg Traurig, said he has attended about 10 events at Antun’s every year for most of his life, but state and city COVID-19 regulations have changed the dynamics for large gatherings. “It’s startling,” he said.
For nearly four months, even staid and socially-distanced events were impossible at Antun’s, one of a handful of halls that routinely host Queens political gatherings, business conferences and extravagant weddings. The Queens Village venue shut down in March to comply with state public health orders. They were later forced to furlough all 98 employees, said owner Mickey King.
Candidates for Queens Borough President visited Antun’s in February for a political forum. Eagle file photo by David Brand
Antun’s partially reopened for outdoor dining and modest indoor gatherings without catering in July.
King estimates that he has lost $4 million in business as a result of the COVID shutdown. Missing out on wedding receptions, graduation parties and corporate galas was particularly painful in June, a month when Antun’s normally hosts about 120 big events, King said.
“Losing June was devastating,” King said. “June is my busiest month and the fact that I lost 100 percent of June was really, really hard.”
King has allowed individuals and organizations to reschedule their events for a future date at no extra cost, but that means missing out on revenue next year. “You can never make it up,” King said.
On March 16, for example, the Queens Village Republican Party cancelled its annual gala, an event honoring former Trump advisor Steve Bannon. The organization plans to hold another dinner at Antun’s in 2021, but they probably would have done that anyway — they celebrate at the venue every year.
Despite the forced closure, the Antun’s $45,000-per-month rent is still due. So is the mortgage for the property, which is owned by King’s father.
Federal relief helped Antun’s employees for a bit, but the money made possible by the CARES Act did not last long. The catering hall received a Paycheck Protection Program loan in April, which allowed King to pay staff for eight weeks during the shutdown. After that, the full staff furlough began.
Antun’s new outdoor restaurant, which attracts about 50 people a night, has allowed King to bring back 20 furloughed staff members.
“It’s not enough to make money, but if I’m getting people just to come and to support staff, it’s reaching the goal,” he said.
Meanwhile, Antun’s has lost business to unsanctioned backyard parties, where social distancing is lax and the rules that restaurants and event spaces must follow do not apply, or are not heeded. King wishes the state would relax some of the restrictions on hospitality spaces to allow for larger crowds safely managed.
“A professional caterer could be the police so to speak,” he said. “If you do a party in someone’s backyard, you’re not following the rules. You know the tables are right on top of each other.”
“The government has to realize they’re creating unsafe conditions,” he added.
King highlighted the precautions he took ahead of the Queens Democrats’ judicial convention last week. He measured a seven-foot dowel and spaced each seat apart a foot further than the six-foot distancing rule. “I knew people would move their chairs closer together,” he reasoned.
If there’s a silver lining to the economic crisis, it’s the bonds that have formed among Queens businesses, including competitors. King said he shares ideas and commiserations with the owners of Russo’s on the Bay and Terrace on the Park, two rival Queens catering halls.
“One of the most important things that has certainly been helpful for me is realizing there is a community of business owners going through the same thing,” he said. “I see I’m not by myself, and I get ideas from other people. The sharing among businesses is kind of nice.”
Gradually, Antun’s has begun to host some modified events, like a wedding earlier this month. The bride and groom were tired of waiting to get married, so they tied the knot and held a small dinner for about 40 people at Antun’s new outdoor restaurant. There was no dancing and King called guests up to the bar individually to get drinks.
“It was better than nothing,” he said.
The very last pre-COVID event at Antun’s took place March 11 when the Queens Chamber of Commerce held its yearly St. Patrick’s Day luncheon, an event honoring Police Commissioner Dermot Shea.
Queens Chamber of Commerce President Tom Grech said he was “heartened” to know that Antun’s has resumed operations during the pandemic, albeit in adjusted form.
“We look forward to the day when we, like all others, can return to dine, to dish, and to delight at Antun's,” Grech said.
King hopes that day is coming soon. Despite mounting debts and challenging public health rules, Antun’s isn’t going anywhere, he said.
“I would never close permanently. Not me,” he said, citing his commitment to his nearly 100 employees.
“I have too much at stake. I’m not just feeding my family. I’m feeding 98 families.”
