4
BROOKLYN WEEKLY, AUGUST 2, 2020
Coming together
Council candidate injured in suspected anti-Semitic attack
BY JESSICA PARKS
Two Bay Ridge lawmakers
are calling on city transportation
offi cials to waive
fi nes issued to restaurants
as a result of shifting outdoor
dining regulations at
a time when many city eateries
are struggling to stay
afl oat following a statewide
shutdown of most businesses
to stem the spread of
COVID-19.
“Safety comes fi rst, so
we understand that the city
may need to adjust its guidelines
after administering
this program so rapidly.
But restaurants should not
be fi ned when the goalposts
are still shifting,” said City
Councilman Justin Brannan.
“The Open Restaurants
program is supposed
to help restaurants get back
in the green — saddling
them with fi nes is the exact
opposite of what we should
be doing.”
Brannan is joined by
State Senator Andrew Gounardes
in his call for leniency,
which comes on the
heels of borough restaurants
being threatened with
heavy fi nes their outdoor
dining spaces no longer
complied with the adjustments
made to the original
guidelines.
“It is outrageous to
cause local restaurants, already
struggling to stay in
business, to have to spend
thousands of extra dollars
to comply with changing
guidelines,” Gounardes
said. “The city must forgive
any fi nes levied under
this program and commit to
clear, consistent guidelines
going forward.”
In recent weeks, restaurants
found out of compliance
have been told they
have 24 hours to bring their
outdoor dining areas to
code, which some restaurant
owners told Brooklyn
Paper cost them additional
hundreds of dollars on top
of the original cost of building
the space.
“We spent a couple of
thousand dollars on everything
else,” said Antonio
Viscoso, owner of Vesuvio,
an Italian restaurant on
Third Avenue in Bay Ridge.
“Then, I think we spent another
$1,200 on umbrellas
and weighted stands.”
Though Viscoso was not
hit with heavy fi nes, he was
told the outside tents he had
purchased for outdoor dining
were out of compliance
and after purchasing umbrellas
to use instead, he
was told the outdoor tents
would be permitted.
“We had a tent, we had to
take the tent down, then we
bought the umbrellas and
after that, we were told the
tents were good,” Viscoso
said. “But we had already
given our tents away.”
Overall, the owner said,
he is pleased with the city’s
outdoor dining regulations
and how quickly offi cials
were able to roll them out as
the switch to al-fresco dining
provides a much-needed
source of revenue for local
businesses following the
months-long shutdown.
“I am pretty satisfi ed
with it, there was bit of
bouncing back and forth,
but once everything worked
out- it’s not a bad thing,” Viscoso
said. “They extended
outdoor dining until October
31st, like everyone else
it’s better than nothing.”
In the meantime, Brannan
and Gounardes urge
any local business owner
who receives a fi ne for their
outdoor dining setup to
reach out to either of their
offi ces.
“I understand this program
is brand new and
was enacted at a frenetic
pace. I also understand
the need to get the guidelines
right,” Brannan said.
“Fines should be forgiven,
and if guidelines change
yet again, then business
owners need to be given
more time to fi x – otherwise
we are hurting our
small businesses and this
program was supposed to
help them get through this
tough time.”
Boris Noble, who’s planning to run for the soon-to-be-vacated District
48 Council seat. Boris Noble
BY MEAGHAN MCGOLDRICK
Southern Brooklyn residents were
quick to rally behind a beloved bagel
shop after a trio of masked men went
on a violent rampage inside the delicatessen
over the weekend, causing more
than $13,000 worth of damage during a
pandemic already economically-devastating
to small businesses.
On Saturday, July 25, the owners of
The Brother’s Bagels, a family-owned
bagel shop near the corner of 71st Street
and Fort Hamilton in Bay Ridge, say two
masked vandals trashed the place after
being told the eatery was closed for the
night.
Co-owner Edgar Morales told CBS2
that he was behind the counter at the
time of the attack, watching in horror
as the masked perpetrators — eventually
joined by a third perp with a mask
and jacket up over his face — kicked in
glass counters, tossed tables, and hurled
the establishment’s meat slicer to the
ground.
When their frenzy of destruction was
finished, the scofflaws had caused upwards
of $13,000 in damage to the bagel
shop — which has become a staple in
both Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights for
close to a decade.
“We did nothing to invite this attack,”
wrote Edgar and his brother Hector
on an online crowdfunding campaign.
“Now, during this global pandemic, we
have to fight even harder to keep our
small business alive. We are asking for
anyone who can, to help us.”
The brothers’ GoFundMe had
amassed nearly $3,500 in just one day,
and totaled close to $6,000 by Tuesday
morning.
But, in a testament to how dearly the
nearby community holds the eatery, one
longtime patron had seen social media
reports about the attack, and rushed to
set up a second online fundraiser to pay
for the damage.
The kind-hearted neighbor has since
suspended the fundraiser, so to not draw
funds from the one created by the Morales
family — but not before her effort
had raked in close to $3,000, which she
says is reflective of The Brother’s Bagels’
impact on the community.
“There wasn’t a lot of thinking behind
my decision to start the GoFundMe
page,” said the creator, who asked to
remain anonymous because this “isn’t
about her — it’s about The Brother’s
Bagels.
“They’re a great business that
serves the community and has built a
relationship with it as well,” she said.
“I just wanted to do something to help
immediately, so I started it and people
responded. I am thrilled that people
responded the way they did because it
shows the best of humanity.”
After learning the brothers had created
their own GoFundMe, she said, she
called hers off — but after bringing in a
significant amount of funds for the eatery
on her own accord, which she will
now transfer to The Brother’s Bagels.
“When we come together, great things
can happen,” she said. “Raising the
amount of money we did in 24 hours is a
testament to the amazing caring people
that make up our communities.”
“We have been proud community
members of Bay Ridge for 18 years.
Our children attend the neighborhood
schools. Our restaurant is a place where
local school staff, children and families
gather before and after school. We have
catered countless events for our neighbors
and their families,” the Morales
brothers wrote online. “We know that
times are tough for everyone, and we
greatly appreciate any support you are
able to offer us at this time. Thank you
in advance for being there for us as we
have been there for so many of you.”
Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights residents rally
behind beloved bagel shop after $13k attack
Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights are rallying behind The Brothers’ Bagels, a longtime local eatery that was
vandalized over the weekend of July 25. Google Maps