Queens restaurants call for federal aid

The Queens restaurant community, alongside Rep. Carolyn Maloney and Queens Chamber of Commerce President Tom Grech, rallied in support of renewed federal funding last week. Photo courtesy of Maloney

By Rachel Vick

Restaurant industry leaders and the Queens Chamber of Commerce rallied in Long Island City last week to call for the passage of legislation to bring aid to struggling restaurants.

The rally outside the Court Square Diner outlined the need for a package that would refresh the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, create specific insurance protections and rework the Paycheck Protection Program.

“Throughout the pandemic, restaurant owners did everything asked of them to keep their communities and their employees safe, but so many of them are hanging on by a thread,” said Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

“Small businesses that barely survived government enforced lockdowns were hit once again by the Omicron variant, which forced employees to miss work and kept customers away,” he added. “Queens’ restaurant industry drives tourism to our borough, adds character to our neighborhoods, and creates jobs and opportunity for people from all walks of life.”

U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney was on hand to issue her support for the bills, citing the devastation to the restaurant industry during the pandemic. Her bill would create a $60 billion infusion for new applicants and those that were not paid out last year.

Of the New York City restaurants that applied to the $28.6 billion fund, 65 percent were shut out when money was exhausted by mid-May, according to the New York Hospitality Alliance.

“Almost two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, refunding the RRF is more important than ever,” said Melissa Fleischut, the president and CEO of the alliance. “Across the board, restaurant operators are trying to dig out from the debts and losses of the Covid-19 pandemic. We're talking about an overwhelming majority of restaurants, struggling with costs, struggling to stay in business and support jobs in their communities.”