28 THE QUEENS COURIER • QUEENS BUSINESS • APRIL 9, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
queens business
Broadway extends coronavirus shutdown through June 7
REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
Theatres are seen along West 45th Street on March 12.
BY LISA RICHWINE
Reuters
Broadway theaters, among New York‘s
most-visited tourist attractions, will
remain closed through June 7 due to the
global coronavirus outbreak, an industry
group said on Wednesday.
Th e theaters closed on March 12 for
what was supposed to be one month while
authorities urged people to avoid large
crowds. With the coronavirus crisis continuing
and much of the United States
urged to stay at home, that timeframe was
extended.
“All New York City Broadway shows
have now been canceled through June 07,
2020,” the Broadway League, which represents
producers and theater owners,
said in a statement posted online.
“When this unexpected intermission
comes to an end – and, make no mistake,
it will come to an end – we’ll once again
gather at lobby bars, sit beside one another
in velvet seats, and laugh, cry, and cheer
together in unison,” the statement added.
Shows that were playing at the time
of the closure included hits such as
“Hamilton,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed
Child” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Twelve local entrepreneurs selected as fi nalists in Queens StartUP! Business Plan Competition
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e Queens Economic Development
Corporation last week announced the
12 fi nalists in the 14th annual Queens
StartUP! Business Plan Competition,
a fi ve-month challenge-and-instruction
course sponsored by Resorts World
Casino New York City.
Aft er attending the workshops and a
fi nancial bootcamp at Queens Public
Library branches, the contestants submitted
anonymous business plans to a
panel of judges consisting of local entrepreneurship
and commerce experts.
Th e judges then selected three fi nalists
in each of four categories: community,
food, sustainability and technology.
Astoria-based Calm City, which
will operate a mobile meditation van,
advanced in the community division.
It is joined by another Astoria entity,
Th e Elysians, which will connect Greek
designers and manufacturers to potential
clients, and Sara’s, a soap-and-skin
product maker in Flushing.
Cheska, a Sunnyside purveyor of gluten
free cuisine, is one of the Food fi nalists.
Th e others are Ringo + Ginger,
a brunch spot in Astoria, and Prince
Abou’s Butchery in Jamaica.
Th e third fi eld, Sustainability, has the
following fi nalists: Bobagreen, a Forest
Hills bubble tea maker; Jars of Delight,
which creates and distributes meal kits
in Jamaica; and Astoria fashion company
Rare Stance.
Flushing’s Shrine Registry, which will
connect female entrepreneurs, is a fi nalist
in the technology category. Totally
Pregnant, a social media/mental health
app run by a Ridgewood resident, also
advanced, as did employment-focused
LHG Consultant Services, which is
located in St. Albans.
From this pool, the judges will now
choose one winner in each category
sometime in May. Each winner will
receive $10,000 seed funding. During
this year’s StartUP!, more than 250 participants
received technical assistance
and training on how to start a small
business.
Th ey also had access to entrepreneurial
resources at Queens Central Library
in Jamaica and face-to-face consultations
with QEDC experts. A total of 50
teams submitted business plans to the
judges.
“Congratulations to this year’s fi nalists
and best of luck as you pursue your
business dreams,” said QEDC Executive
Director Seth Bornstein. “I’d like to
remind those who didn’t advance that
they can try again next year.”
One of QEDC’s signature programs,
Courtesy of Queens Economic Development Corporation
the StartUP! competition provides
entrepreneurship education, one-on-one
guidance, mentoring and the chance to
win seed funding. In addition to Resorts
World Casino NYC and Queens Library,
it is supported by the NYC Department
of Small Business Services and NYC
Council Speaker Corey Johnson.
Founded in 1977, QEDC’s mission is
to create and retain jobs through programming
that grows our neighborhoods,
assists small businesses, and promotes
tourism and business development.
The 12 fi nalists in the 14th annual Queens StartUP! Business Plan Competition.
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