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Mayor de Blasio Extends Popular Open restaurants Program to October; Announces More Locations for Expanded Dining on Open Streets

July 17, 2020

Video available at: https://youtu.be/T78H6PDqM3w


NEW YORK—Mayor de Blasio today extended the City's overwhelmingly popular Open Restaurants program until the end of October, giving nearly 9,000 participating restaurants two extra months to serve diners in safe, socially distant outdoor spaces. The Mayor also unveiled 26 more locations for the weekend expansion of outdoor dining options under an initiative that combines two popular programs, Open Streets and Open Restaurants.

The program expands restaurant seating options onto car-free streets for select corridors throughout the five boroughs. Restaurants on these corridors will go farther away from the curb than other Open Restaurants participants, and the rest of the streets will be open to pedestrian traffic and emergency vehicles. Selected corridors will be operational on Friday from 5-11 P.M., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 11 P.M. The 26 new locations bring the citywide total to 47 participating streets.

The City will continue to work with the restaurant industry to ensure there is clarity on the guidelines for roadway seating setups.

"Open Restaurants has given New Yorkers more than just a meal away from home – it has given our city a sign that better times are ahead," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "I'm proud to give small businesses another two months to get back on their feet, and I'm looking forward to enjoying a meal on our expanded Open Street program soon."

"Our Open Restaurants initiative has been a tremendous team effort and we are excited to give more restaurants -- in places like Forest Hills, Queens and University Heights in the Bronx -- additional room to serve their customers and put people back to work," said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. "We thank Mayor de Blasio, the teams from DOT and our sister agencies, and all the BIDs and other neighborhood organizations which have been working with us to make outdoor dining part of an expanded Open Streets program."

"The Open Restaurant program has been a success all across the City.  Extending this initiative gives our business owners hope for a brighter, better future, and provides more space for New Yorkers to safely celebrate the vibrancy of their neighborhoods," said Jonnel Doris, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services.

The first round of Open Restaurant locations, announced July 2nd, focused on streets that are already participating in the Open Streets program, and on corridors represented by organizations that have worked with DOT on street closures in the past. This second tranche of locations includes additional applicants from partners and restaurant groups new to DOT.

New streets will be in the following locations:

Organization On Street From Street To Street Borough
Salsa Con Fuego
*This location will open on Saturday, July 24th.
Cedar Ave W Fordham Rd Landing Rod Bronx
Concord Hill Graham Ave Skillman Ave Conselyea St Brooklyn
Sunset Park BID 5th Ave 40th St 41st St Brooklyn
Park Slope 5th Ave BID 5th Ave President St 3rd St Brooklyn
Park Slope 5th Ave BID 5th Ave 10th St 13th St Brooklyn
Blind Tiger Jones St Bleecker St W 4th St Manhattan
Von Design Ltd Bleecker St Mott St Bowery Manhattan
MacDougal Merchants Association MacDougal St W 8th St W 3rd St Manhattan
Sushi Vida Dyckman St Broadway Seaman Ave Manhattan
St Tropez Soho, LLC Spring St 6th Ave Thompson St Manhattan
Village Alliance W 8th St 5th Ave 6th Ave Manhattan
Hangawi Restaurant E 32nd St 5th Ave Madison Ave Manhattan
Alliance for Downtown NY Pearl St Broad St Hanover Sq Manhattan
Alliance for Downtown NY Pine St William St Pearl St Manhattan
Rezdora E 20th St Park Ave Broadway Manhattan
Rivington East Merchants Association Rivington St Essex St Norfolk St Manhattan
Osteria Morini Lafayette St Spring St Kenmare St Manhattan
Derossi Global E 7th St Ave A 1st Ave Manhattan
Village Alliance St Marks Place 3rd Ave 2nd Ave Manhattan
The Hairy Lemon Ave B E 2nd St E 3rd St Manhattan
Flatiron 23rd St Partnership W 22nd St 5th Ave 6th Ave Manhattan
Cervo's Canal St Orchard St Essex St Manhattan
Kettle of Fish Christopher St Waverly Pl 7 Ave South Manhattan
Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce 70th Rd Austin St Queens Blvd Queens
Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce Austin St 72nd Ave 72nd Rd Queens
Thai Community USA Woodside Ave 76th St 78th St Queens

"The expansion of the Open Restaurant program is vital to the survival of many small businesses throughout the city and we must continue to do all that we can to provide opportunities for them to thrive," said Council Member Diana Ayala. "This initiative which allows expanded seating options will foster commercial revitalization. I want to thank the Mayor, Commissioner Trottenberg, and BIDs throughout the City for working to bring open dining on open streets."

"Outdoor seating for restaurants and bars remains the only bright light in an otherwise bleak outlook for our neighborhood hospitality businesses and its thousands of workers. We thank the Mayor for expanding this well received program that is transforming streets and parking spaces into welcoming dining oasis. We also appreciate his willingness to work with us to clarify guidelines and improve efforts to ensure compliance among program participants," said Andrew Rigie and Robert Bookman, Executive Director and Counsel to the NYC Hospitality Alliance.

"We're excited to see that the city is extending and expanding the Open Restaurants program. It's clear that it's been popular with patrons and purveyors, and it's impossible to overstate the importance to New York City's economy of getting our restaurants back on track. We're grateful to Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Trottenberg and their teams, and all the partner organizations, for their efforts in making Open Restaurants a success," said Eric McClure, Executive Director of StreetsPAC.

"Mayor de Blasio's Open Streets Program has brought new life to New York City's streets," said Nick Sifuentes, Executive Director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign. "Not only is the program a critical lifeline for struggling businesses, it's also a historic demonstration of how the city can safely reopen and thrive as we rebound and retrench in the wake of COVID-19. Repurposing space for outdoor dining is making some neighborhoods feel as vibrant as they were over half a century ago, before our streets were surrendered to cars. We commend the Mayor for expanding this program and we hope that it remains a tool for long-term reimagining of New York City's streets."

"The restaurants on 70th Road and on Austin Street near 72nd Ave are so excited to expand their seating with the open street closures," said Leslie Brown, President of the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce. "The street closure can really benefit the restaurants and at the same time bring the community together on these summer evenings! I encourage everyone to come out, invite friends and don't forget the other small businesses that you know and love by supporting them!"

"The first section of Open Streets: Restaurants on Fifth Avenue (between Dean Street and Park Place) has been so successful that we've received a number of requests from restaurant owners along Fifth Avenue to expand the program. With these additional sections closed Fifth Avenue is now a top outdoor dining destination in NYC," said Mark Caserta, Executive Director of Park Slope Fifth Ave BID.

"Open Streets: Restaurants truly brings Greenwich Village together. The program provides a much-needed lifeline to our businesses while allowing for socially responsible dining," said William Kelley, Executive Director of Village Alliance BID.

"We're finally realizing the true potential of streets as places, not simply as a means to moving traffic," said Danny Harris, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. "Our streets are a path to New York's recovery from this pandemic, so we're pleased to see the Open Streets initiative evolving and finding new ways to reclaim space from cars and create vibrant, inclusive streets for people."

"We commend Mayor de Blasio and the Department of Transportation for continuing to reconfigure street space to safeguard New Yorkers during the pandemic. By prioritizing people over cars on the participating streets, the City is protecting the health of New Yorkers while creating much-needed opportunities for recreation, commerce, and community building that would not otherwise be there," said Tom Wright, Regional Plan Association President and CEO.

"Extending the Open Restaurants program through October is a common sense way to allow New Yorkers to take advantage of the summer weather and enjoy the fresh air. The popularity of the Open Streets and Open Restaurants programs proves that we can reimagine our streetscape and help small businesses at the same time. Reallocating space to diners and pedestrians is a win-win for public health, air quality, and our economy as we recover from COVID. We thank Mayor de Blasio for extending this successful program," said Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters.

"We are all thrilled and we would like to thank the Mayor's office, the DOT, and SBS for making our dream a reality!," said Patrick Daley, Offishal President, Kettle of Fish.

"In Sunset Park, Brooklyn, the DOT "Open Streets: Restaurants" program will throw a lifeline to small businesses that are fighting for survival. Business Improvement Districts are able partners for community and economic recovery. We stand ready to support this and other creative solutions that promote public health and commerce," said David Estrada, Executive Director, Sunset Park 5th Ave BID.



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