OPINION: Open space for outdoor dining ASAP to save Queens restaurants

AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews

By Tom Grech

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on businesses in Queens, particularly in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Queens is home to 6,000 of New York City’s 25,000 restaurants. These businesses employ tens of thousands of Queens residents, creating economic opportunity and adding to the unique character of our neighborhoods.  

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen Queens’ restaurant community step up to the plate. So many establishments pivoted to offering take out and delivery, doing what they could to continue to serve their customers and keep their employees on the payroll.  At a time of great uncertainty, many restaurants even turned their attention to providing free meals to front line workers. 

But the vast majority of restaurants are struggling right now, and they need our support. If we don’t take decisive action to help them today, I fear that many of them will never open their doors to customers again. 

The reality is that COVID-19 will remain a public health risk for the foreseeable future. For restaurants to get back on their feet, we need to think outside the box and take measures to make dining  as safe as possible for the public and for restaurant employees, allowing for as much social distancing as possible. 

Cities across Europe have begun using public sidewalks, streets and plazas for the creation of outdoor dining spaces, with many of them shared by several restaurants and bars along a single closed street.  This works effectively on Stone Street in Lower Manhattan, and there are many locations in Queens that would be ideal for this as well. 

There is a bill in the City Council that would temporarily create outdoor dining areas that would allow for restaurants to better adhere to social distancing guidelines while serving customers. It needs to be passed immediately so restaurants can begin planning to open their doors and serve customers on their premises, in a way that protects the public and their staff.  As the oldest and largest business association in Queens, the Chamber is ready to work with all of the City and State agencies that would need to be engaged to make this initiative a success. 

It’s been a tough few months for restaurants here in Queens, and without spectators flocking to Citi Field, the US Open and concerts at Forest Hills Stadium, they will likely see a decline in revenue over the summer as well. Opening streets and sidewalks to diners will help alleviate the pain being felt by restaurateurs, and at a time of record unemployment, put New Yorkers back to work. 

Tom Grech is the President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce.