Bring back ‘alcohol-to-go’ to keep more NYC businesses alive
with efficient help.
Most important, the NYS
Liquor Authority and law
enforcement needs to cease
and desist with playing “gotcha”
fining, penalizing bars,
taverns and clubs for a variety
of slight infractions.
ON THE WEB
VISIT US ONLINE
AT QNS.COM
CHECK OUT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES:
www.facebook.com/timesledger
www.twitter.com/TimesLedger
www.instagram.com/qnsgram
LETTERS POLICY
Letters should be typed or neatly handwritten, and those longer than 300
words may be edited for brevity and clarity. All letters must include the writer’s
name and phone number for verifi cation. Names may be withheld from publication
if requested, but anonymously sent letters will not be printed. Letters must
be received by Thursday noon to appear in the next week’s paper. All letters
become the property of Schneps Media and may be republished in any format.
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | JAN. 7 - JAN. 13, 2022 13
OP-ED
BY KEN GOLDBERG
New York City’s bars, taverns,
clubs and entertainment
centers are suffering
another crisis at this time.
As COVID-19 has returned
to record rates, this has provoked
fear among consumers
and patrons, disrupting
many entertainment and
hospitality enterprises.
In the past two weeks,
many watering holes and
food locations have closed.
It’s a combination of customers
being frightened by
COVID-19 and staying away;
many business or holiday
parties being canceled; and,
for many businesses, not being
able to have adequate
staff because workers have
either gotten sick, are taking
precautions or have become
discouraged.
Government policymakers
have lost credibility with many
of these affected people because
of conflicting information. Yet
the government needs to become
immediately proactive so
many of these small businesses
are able to survive.
Government should
now allow — even encourage
— bars, taverns, clubs
and entertainment centers
to offer curbside alcoholic
beverages, including mixed
cocktails, and food. These
locations should also be allowed
to offer bottle service.
The NYS Liquor Authority
must do much more to
boost business. For example,
anyone who reviews the authority’s
website together
with the NYC website about
opening a bar, tavern or club
will be completely turned
off by the difficulty due to
many bureaucratic hurdles.
This broken system has to be
transformed where entrepreneurs
and operators willing
to risk capital in opening an
establishment are embraced
LAST WEEK’S TOP STORY:
Flushing USPS distribution center breaks record during
holiday season
SUMMARY: The USPS processing and distribution center in
Flushing, one of New York’s largest sorting facilities, broke postal
records at the beginning of December by processing over 1 million
packages in one day.
During the first COVID-19
crisis under Governor Andrew
Cuomo, these establishment
owners experienced
a “reign of terror” with all
sorts of agency inspectors
who wrote summonses and
even closed down places! How
did any of this support business
owners, who then would
have to lay off employees and
halt paying their rent and
utilities, and even their taxes?
Instead of hurting responsible,
decent business
owners, employees at these
government agencies should
instead be prioritized on
safeguarding us against
threats by criminals, mentally
ill and homeless who
pose a dangerous presence
on our streets.
Truth be told, here’s what
I am seeing “on the street”
every day: Many bars, taverns
and clubs are one step
away from going out of business
because of COVID-19’s
latest economic blow.
Ken Goldberg is principal
owner of Emerson Amusement
of Woodside and president
of the Amusement and
Music Owners Association of
New York.
“Government should now allow — even encourage — bars, taverns,
clubs and entertainment centers to offer curbside alcoholic beverages,
including mixed cocktails, and food.”
Photo courtesy of Flickr user The Whistling Monkey
/QNS.COM
/TimesLedger
/qnsgram
/QNS.COM
/timesledger
/timesledger
/TimesLedger
/qnsgram
