TRU Astoria general manager Yanni Stathakis. Antonia Joannides, manager at Queen’s Room.
Ditmars Boulevard and its many restaurants
— including The Boutique Bistro & Bar — has
become a go-to destination for outdoor dining.
AUGUST 2 0 2 0 I BOROMAG.COM 27
Photos by Dean Moses
Ditmars Boulevard has become an
extensive strip made up of hanging fairy
lights and the sound of chatter, with some
locations even playing booming music.
Almost every business makes use of a
distinctive theme — that is, except for those
like TRU Astoria, for whom it is simply
business as usual.
“We normally have outside dining, and
that’s one of the pluses for us at TRU. We are
operating on a normal summer schedule on
steroids because of the extra seating. So, the
thing that we are lacking is our bar business
and the inside seating. Everyone is sick of
being inside, so it doubly helped us. We are
very blessed to be open,” said TRU Astoria
general manager Yanni Stathakis, who isn’t
feeling any backlash from Cuomo’s new
alcohol requirement.
“We’re not that type of place; probably
only 10 percent of people want to come
to us to grab a drink and walk the streets.
If someone does want to do that, we try to
refer them to one of the other businesses
as well. We’re more of the sit-down, family
place,” Stathakis said.
The impact on restaurants from
coronavirus, the inability to operate at
full capacity, and new alcohol regulations
are worrisome to local residents, as well
as business owners themselves. Astoria
resident Gabriella Macena has seen many
local businesses struggle and is overcome
with emotion as she sees these locations
reopen and flourish.
“We have all seen how much trouble it
has been for local business owners, and
just to see everybody out again, it’s very
nice. It feels like they, like we, are free again,”
Macena said.
Although it reassures Macena to visit her
favorite diners again, she also admits she
has seen problems pop up firsthand.
“There are those who are abusing that
freedom. Last Sunday, I was on Steinway
Street at night and just walking by … it
was just scary. Like there were hundreds of
people out with no masks. It wasn’t spaced,
and it was just scary,” Macena said. “But I also
feel that some of the restaurants are getting
more clients now than they did previously.
Some of the places, I had never even paid
attention to. As everybody has outdoor
space, even if you don’t want to eat out, you
still look and check the menu. I think some
of the businesses have benefited and built
clientele.”
Mere blocks from where Macena was
dining, the troubles she talked of are
being felt by Antonia Joannides, manager
at Queen’s Room. Prior to the pandemic,
Queen’s Room did not have a grand
outside dining area on their curbside. The
staff had to adjust their daily routine, which
now consists of their usual maintenance
as well as whipping out a measuring tape
and moving the tables, seats and umbrellas
outside every morning. The addition of
Cuomo’s new rule added yet another
obstacle.
“It’s almost kind of funny. Like, you’re so
against having to do one more thing or
hurdle after you cleared the last one. So, it
gets frustrating just trying to run a business
every day,” Joannides said. “You have to
order food with your drinks and that’s a
pain in the ass. We made little chips and
nachos plates, little cheap things to just
buy now. We are more of a sit-down place;
come the weekends some people want
to just grab drinks. So rather than lose
the business altogether, we played by the
rules.”
As businesses shell out more money and
gimmicks to attract customers, the thirst
for normalcy has outweighed the need for
compliance for many individuals. Particularly
during the weekend, Ditmars Boulevard
is crawling with people trying to return to
life as it were, but it’s up to the restaurants
now to be the bodyguards of their own
businesses or else risk losing their liquor
license thanks to Cuomo’s regulations.
Customers dine at Nino’s AQ on Ditmars Boulevard.
Ditmars Boulevard has become a go-to
destination for outdoor dining.
Astoria resident Gabriella Macena is thrilled to be
enjoying outdoor dining on Ditmars Boulevard.
/BOROMAG.COM
