FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 10, 2020 • QUEENS BUSINESS • THE QUEENS COURIER 29
queens business
SE Queens leaders cut ribbon on new restaurant venture at JFK
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Southeast Queens leaders joined Port
Authority offi cials to celebrate the opening
of J&P Runway Café, a local minority- and
woman-owned business (MWBE) and onairport
employee cafeteria inside Building
14 at John F. Kennedy International
Airport.
J&P Runway Café is led by successful
local Queens restaurateurs Annette
Runcie, owner of Pa-Nash Restaurant in
Rosedale, and Michael Duncan, owner of
Jamaica Breeze Restaurant in Laurelton.
“As co-chair of the JFK Redevelopment
Community Advisory Council, our priority
on the board has been to ensure that
southeast Queens benefi ts from the economic
opportunities these projects are
creating,” Congressman Gregory Meeks
said. “I am thrilled to see MWBEs and
LBEs like J&P Runway Café continue to
open up across JFK and employ residents
from the local community. I thank
the Port Authority for their commitment
to making sure that we not only modernize
JFK, but we revitalize the local economy
as well.”
J&P Runway Café has committed to hiring
southeast Queens residents to work at
the cafeteria and successfully hired seven
employees thus far. Th e next job fair will
take place in early 2021.
“JFK International Airport is a huge
part of our local economy, so having local
restaurants on site is a continuation of
that connection with our community,”
said Donovan Richards, the former southeast
Queens councilman who was recently
sworn in as Queens borough president.
“Queens is home to some of the best small
restaurants in the country, with food from
all over the world, and having them at our
airports is a great opportunity. Right now,
so many restaurant owners are struggling,
so this partnership is even more important.
I look forward to seeing the success
of J&P Runway Café and the continued
success of Pa-Nash and Jamaica Breeze.”
Runcie and Duncan agreed, saying they
were excited about the opportunity and
“what it will mean for southeast Queens,”
adding they were looking forward to a
Photo courtesy of the Port Authority
long-lasting relationship with the Port
Authority.
“J&P Runway Café is a tremendous,
new asset to the JFK community. We are
proud to be partnering with this outstanding,
local minority- and woman-owned
business venture to bring a high-quality
food option with an international fl air
to the JFK workforce,” Port Authority
Executive Director Rick Cotton said. “Th e
Port Authority is completely committed to
ensuring the economic benefi ts of its redevelopment
projects accrue to the Queens
communities surrounding the airport.”
State Senator Leroy Comrie, co-chair
of the JFK Advisory Council Workforce
Development Committee, lauded the timing
of the opening.
“With massive job loss due to COVID-
19, the launch of a new business venture is
a benefi t for southeast Queens residents,”
Comrie said. “I am incredibly proud of
Annette Runcie and Michael Duncan for
their tenacity, leadership and vision in
forming J&P Runway Café, incorporating
not only their individual businesses
but also bringing with them other integral
community entrepreneurs as well to
expand their capacity. I want to commend
PA Executive Director Rick Cotton and
his team for their commitment to enhancing
MWBE opportunities, even amid the
challenges of this pandemic.”
Th e newly renovated space is more than
5,000 square feet, providing ample room
for distancing, and off ers indoor and outdoor
seating. Th e cafeteria was built to
ensure safe dining for airport employees
during COVID-19. Th e contract issued is
for fi ve years with an option to renew for
an additional fi ve years.
“Congratulations to Michael Duncan
and Annette Runcie on the grand opening
of J&P Runway Café,” Assemblyman
Khaleel Anderson said. “For far too long,
bureaucratic processes have been a barrier
for the advancement of MWBE businesses
across Queens. Too many of our businesses
are denied large contracts. Today
that changes. I am grateful to be part of
this monumental step for small business
and restaurant owners alike. Th is investment
will not only positively impact the
local community but will provide a sense
of pride and unity for southeast Queens.”
QPL reopens 12 additional branches with limited service
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Queens Public Library reopened 12
additional branches across the borough
on Monday, Nov. 30, with limited “to-go”
service six days a week, bringing the total
of 35 locations open to the public for pickups
in a designated area of each building.
Th e branches will also be accepting
returns at their exterior return machines.
Th e 12 reopened branches are as
follows:
• Briarwood Library
• East Flushing Library
• Elmhurst Library
• Glen Oaks Library
• Hollis Library
• Hunters Point Library
• Lefrak City Library
• Maspeth Library
• Mitchell-Linden Library
• Richmond Hill Library
• Rochdale Village Library
• St. Albans Library
Th ey are following the branches that
have been open for “to-go” service:
• Arverne Library
• Astoria Library
• Auburndale Library
• Bayside Library
• Bellerose Library
• Cambria Heights Library
• Central Library
• East Elmhurst Library
• Flushing Library
• Forest Hills Library
• Fresh Meadows Library
• Hillcrest Library
• Jackson Heights Library
• Langston Hughes Library
• Laurelton Library
• Long Island City Library
• Ozone Park Library
• Peninsula Library
• Queensboro Hill Library
• Rego Park Library
• Ridgewood Library
• South Ozone Park Library
• Whitestone Library
Th e hours at each of these 35 locations
are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday,
Friday and Saturday (with a one-hour closure
from 1 to 2 p.m. for cleaning); 1 p.m.
to 5 p.m. on Tuesday; and noon to 7 p.m.
on Th ursday (with a one-hour closure
from 3 to 4 p.m. for cleaning).
Materials can be requested online,
through the QPL app, or by phone.
All staff and visitors are required to
wear masks and practice physical distancing.
Hand sanitizer is available at all open
branches. At this time, there are no onsite
public programs, browsing, meeting
room availability, seating, public computers,
or in-person reference service, and
book donations are not accepted.
QPL continues to off er a variety of virtual
programs, from story times in multiple
languages to technology classes to art
lectures and performances to author talks.
Th e complete virtual programming calendar
is available here.
QPL also continues to expand its online
resources, including eBooks, audiobooks,
eMagazines, music, movies, as well as concerts,
TV shows and educational lectures.
Anyone can borrow these free materials
with an existing library card or by signing
up for a QPL eCard. Applications for
library cards are currently accepted online
only, and cards can be picked up at one of
the locations off ering to-go service.
Queens Public Library/Photo via Facebook
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
link
link
link
