12 JULY 22, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Order up for the city
More than 16 months ago, the
New York City restaurant
industry suffered a massive
economic blow due to crowding
restrictions implemented during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The worst of the pandemic is (hopefully)
behind us, and many of those
restrictions have gone by the wayside.
Diners are once again enjoying fi ne
meals both inside and outside eateries
across the fi ve boroughs, but as any
restaurateur can tell you, the road to
recovery is a marathon, not a sprint.
Most of the eateries that survived
the pandemic fell far behind on their
rents. But those were the lucky ones;
thousands of restaurants did not
survive at all. That included some of
the fi nest establishments in the city,
owned by high-profi le chefs such as
Tom Collichio, who said on July 15 that
he owed $1.2 million in back rent at one
establishment that closed.
Collichio appeared with New York
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand at a press
conference in which they called for additional
economic relief — to the tune
EDITORIAL
THE HOT TOPIC
STORY:
De Blasio keeping school mask
requirement in place despite new
CDC recommendations
SUMMARY:
New York City doesn’t have plans to
change its current mask-wearing
policy in schools and adhere to recently
updated guidelines from the Centers of
Disease Control and Prevention.
REACH:
5,595 (as of 7/19/2021)
ESTABLISHED 1908
Co-Publishers
VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS
JOSHUA SCHNEPS
Editor-in-Chief
ZACHARY GEWELB
Classified Manager
DEBORAH CUSICK
Assistant Classified Manager
MARLENE RUIZ
Reporters
ANGELICA ACEVEDO
CARLOTTA MOHAMED
JULIA MORO
BILL PARRY
© 2021 SCHNEPS NY MEDIA, LLC.
General Publication Office: 38-15 Bell Blvd.,
Bayside, NY 11361
TELEPHONE: 1-718-260-4535
FAX: 1-718-224-5441
E-MAIL: editorial@ridgewoodtimes.com
WEB SITE: www.qns.com
ON TWITTER @ridgewoodtimes
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY
FOR 110 YEARS
COMPOSITION RESPONSIBILITY: Accuracy in receiving
ads over the telephone cannot be guaranteed. This
newspaper is responsible for only one incorrect insertion
and only for that portion of the ad in which the error
appears. It is the responsibility of the advertiser to make
sure copy does not contravene the Consumer Protection
Law or any other requirement. TIMES NEWSWEEKLY Is
Listed With The Standard Rate & Data And Is A Member
Of The New York Press Association
Show your support for our culinary scene by participating in New York Restaurant Week. Photo by Dean Moses
of $60 billion nationwide — to help
keep their doors open.”
independently owned restaurants get
New York City’s restaurants can use
back on their feet.
all the help they can get. The pandemic
The American Rescue Plan, enacted
was especially difficult in our city,
in April, provided $28 billion in federal
which prides itself on its culinary
aid to restaurant owners across the
scene. The Independent Restaurant
U.S., but according to Gillibrand, the
Coalition estimates that 31.6 percent of
demand quickly exhausted the supply
the jobs lost in New York were from the
of funding. She said the additional
leisure and hospitality industry — that
$60 billion in relief proposed would
accounts for hundreds of thousands of
“provide direct aid to the restaurant
New Yorkers and their livelihoods.
owners Congress initially intended to
The health of the New York economy
assist and help these vital businesses
is greatly dependent upon small
businesses. Congress must not only
see fi t to provide additional aid to restaurants,
but we as New Yorkers must
also step up to the plate and continue
supporting our local eateries.
New York Restaurant Week, which
began on July 19, is an ample opportunity
to show your support for our
culinary scene but also enjoy great
meals at discounts. Visit nycgo.com/
restaurantweek to fi nd a participating
eatery, and spend some of your cash
with them.
/www.qns.com
/www.qns.com
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
/nycgo.com
link
