Small business woes

[fillmorep]

This new piece from Politico quotes the owner of Samudra that he will have to close. His food is really good! If he does close, he will probably be the first of many. I dread the sight  of boarded up businesses in JH. Danny Dromm is also quoted. He is always on-point; but this situation doesn't seem to have a viable solution without federal help. Which isn't coming.....


https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2020/06/16/new-york-city-small-businesses-extinction-coronavirus-1293055

[JH3525]

Someone in Queens involved in the restaurant industry was interviewed on NY1 and mentioned that of the 3,000
restaurants in Queens 50% are at risk of closing.  This person also mentioned that in 5 years Queens will return to 3,000 restaurants.  The interview was about a month ago. 

[abcdefghijk]

The new Corona Reality ...that is, the new normal, means that really only food stalls/food trucks for take out would be commercially viable and safe.

Not restaurants to dine in. Outdoor dining will not provide enough tables to compensate.

Unfortunately subsidizing premises that are no longer feasible is unlikely.

This is the truth of our new situation.

Restaurants are a pre-Covid way of life.

[itsit]

 Please, please someone close off 37th Ave to traffic! It will bring many more customers to the businesses there. We love these places and are trying our best to keep patronizing them in rotation. But if half of the traffic now on 34th was relocated to 37th, we would have a fighting chance of keeping a number of these businesses alive.

[dssjh]

rather than start a new topic, thought i'd post news that the surgical supply store at Roosevelt and 75th is gone -- with a "for rent" sign in the window. i haven't needed it often, but when i needed it, i needed it badly.

[michaelw]

Please, please someone close off 37th Ave to traffic! It will bring many more customers to the businesses there.

Great idea. Then let restaurants put tables out. And let the fruit and vegetable stores expand a bit.

[abcdefghijk]

First Business Leases – Partial Sublet
Most, but not all, commercial leases do not expressly disallow a company to sublease a portion of the space it occupies. Since the original business tenant is still fully responsible for the primary lease and continues to operate the business at that location, the landlord’s risk is significantly less than in a full sublet. Some leases do require the tenant to obtain permission to partially sublease or to inform the landlord in writing in advance.

-------------------------------------------

This may be the only solution. For the restaurants to sublet their unused space where the tables and chairs were...
To other businesses...food, clothing, electronics, books, whatever...

[Minimal4me]

Please, please someone close off 37th Ave to traffic! It will bring many more customers to the businesses there. We love these places and are trying our best to keep patronizing them in rotation. But if half of the traffic now on 34th was relocated to 37th, we would have a fighting chance of keeping a number of these businesses alive.

They're doing this in some Long Island towns.

[Jeffsayyes]

Is it worth it for restaurants to pay for rent until the spring? Seems like they can save a lot of money just by putting everything on hold

[dssjh]

but not operating doesn't wipe their rent away. they pay rent whether "on hold" or operating at 25 percent of normal business.

[abcdefghijk]

Is it worth it for restaurants to pay for rent until the spring? Seems like they can save a lot of money just by putting everything on hold

But you're assuming there'll be a vaccine by next Spring. That's not necessarily the case.
I think we have to be realistic. There may not be a vaccine.

The new reality will be take out...distancing....outdoors....

[lsr220]

I posted this on FB last week but forgot to share here. I recently interviewed the owners of the Arepa Lady, Nepali Bhanchha Ghar, Antojitos Dona Fela, and the Queensboro on how things have been going for them:

https://eatyourworld.com/blog/reopening-nyc-queens-restaurants-street-vendors-weigh-in/

There's a link in there about the Restaurants Act (currently stalled in the Senate), which is trying to secure more funds for U.S. independent restaurants: https://www.saverestaurants.com/take-action/

I don't know what else we can do (besides patronize the spots we love). I've emailed a few NY state government officials to ask WHAT ELSE is being done to help our restaurant owners, but haven't heard anything back yet.   

[r]

Something they often do in Japan is build weather-proof covers over streets.

We should probably be building stuff like this now (e.g. over 37th Ave or over 74th St) otherwise nobody is going to be dining out on the street between December to April