On Nov. 13, we told you that ConEd shut off the gas at the Avenue A location of Tompkins Square Bagels.
It has been an incredible struggle to keep the doors open at the Avenue A location. We are basically working around the clock at [the Second Avenue location] to feed Avenue A. My staff, guys who have been fighting and pushing with me since April, are absolutely shot.
The cost of running an entire store on electricity as opposed to gas is also extremely costly. I'm not sure how much longer we can keep this up. At the same time, I have 15 full-timers and 10 part-timers who depend on their jobs to feed their families, pay rent or get through school.
There is no end in sight and this is all extremely frustrating especially since the original issue was not gas related. Somehow, I've still had to file permits with the DOB, amendments with the DOB, and apply for gas with ConEd as if I were a brand new operation. I've heard stories of similar issues from other shop owners who waited months or even a year to have their gas restored.
It makes no sense and seems incredibly unjust. Small businesses who have already jumped through the hoops and paid filing fees shouldn't be forced to start from scratch when a gas issue arises. Further, I believe we should be given some sort of expedited preference as our livelihood, and the livelihood of our employees depend on keeping the doors open.
At the very least, in their own self-interest, the city should be wise enough to help the few small businesses left who are still creating jobs, paying sales, state and other taxes, and keeping neighborhoods vibrant and alive. It almost seems like they don't want us around and I just don't get any of it.I'm hoping someone out there with enough power might be interested ... to help us, and make it so others don't have to go through the same ordeal. I know I'm one of the lucky ones. Many were not able to recover and lost their businesses. It has to stop.
46 comments:
Con Job Edison conning us again and again....
Monopoly == crookopoly
The city and Con Ed are well & truly fucking over businesses and residents on a major scale.
I hope to God that one or more of our ELECTED OFFICIALS - those people who get paid a lot of money to theoretically *represent* us - will TAKE PROMPT ACTION on behalf of TSP's completely unfair situation.
Seriously, WHAT DOES IT TAKE to get our representatives give a damn about this? Do we need to organize a march or rally??
If Tompkins Square Bagels can't make it, you can kiss this neighborhood good-bye, b/c Chris is committed to being here, and he is really the best of the best!
PS: Also sorry to hear Pangea is having a gas line issue.
Went there this morning, not very busy. Bagels as great as ever. But I don't know how they can keep going here especially with the lighter traffic during a holiday week.
The City is not helping you because De Blasio and Cuomo don't care!
"Pugliese is hopeful that a local elected official or community group will help advocate for small businesses like Tompkins Square Bagels and others in similar situations" - hope springs eternal, but the reality is that those with power simply do not give a shit. If they did, we would not be in the mess we are in. If they did, the City Council would have passed Ruth Messinger's Small Business Rent act in the late 1980s. If they did, they would be out there vociferously fighting for the Small Business Jobs Survival Act. And yet, despite small mom and pops crashing around down them in an ever-increasing barrage, what do we hear from those whose salaries we pay and whom we depend on to look out for us, their constituents?
Crickets. Fucking crickets.
I know contractors who have told me horror stories about buildings having had their gas cut off for well over a year due to a construction screw up, so this isn't unusual. Tenants, no matter how they organize, get no action. The problem with monopolies, and you see it with the MTA, Port Authority and NYCHA... there is no oversight and very little you can do since they're protected by local and state governments. Political life is all about patronage; you protect those entities that put you in power.
I just sent a message to Carlina's office. Hate to see this happening.
I sent a note to Carlina Rivera who represents us on City Council, and you should too! Her email is district2@council.nyc.gov.
Here was my note:
Hi Council Member Rivera,
I hope this note finds you well. I am a constituent from the East Village. One of our neighborhood gems — Tompkins Square Bagels — is experiencing a Kafkaesque nightmare with the Department of Buildings & ConEd and I would love it if you would step in and support thus local businesses.
After a carbon monoxide meter went off, they contacted ConEd who shut off their gas while the restaurant investigated the issue. The owner found that there was a hole in the ventilation and after fixing it, is now in a potentially months long process to get their natural gas reconnected.
Are you able to step in and help? There is more information available on EVGrieve here: https://evgrieve.com/2020/11/tompkins-square-bagels-on-avenue.html.
Regards,
John
The city needs federal help as does the state.
I sent an email to Councilwoman River and time Community Board 3, who have a meeting tonight.
I am a neighborhood resident who patronizes this location on a weekly basis. I went in last Friday for my usual onion bagel with scallion cream cheese. I asked the gentleman who was manning the counter about the current situation. He mentioned there are a few items they are unable to bake and sell now. And he said it could take months before this issue is resolved. I fail to understand how the the ineptitude and apathy of Con Ed can continue to conduct themselves like this.
All small businesses such as theirs and across the US should have access to financial assistance from their city and/or state to prevent permanent closings. From what I understand NY is hemorrhaging funds and has nothing left. If Moscow Mitch doesn't get his head out of his ass, there will no stimulus for any of us approaching the holidays and long winter. I cannot believe the Hero's act has been on his desk since May yet he fails to take action. He's a spineless coward who has no idea how most of society is functioning and struggling during this unprecedented period. He's worth over 250 million dollars and is the wealthiest senator in office, yet he turns a blind eye to the needs of his constituents and the rest of us in this country? F him.
I wish this bagel shop the very best and hope they can endure a bit more until Biden is sworn in where kindness is restored and where we all can benefit from some fiscal relief.
Call WNYC and ask for a producer on Brian Lehrer's program. After Covid, this should be top-of-list on Brian's weekly "Ask The Mayor" segment (they're off this week for Thanksgiving, which is really too bad).
This page
https://www.wnyc.org/contact-backup/
shows a phone number and a link for news tips.
Grieve, please keep after this! And good luck, TSB. Keep on.
Isn't there a way to have Consolidated Edison visit the site and confirm that the problem has been remedied? Also, is it possible that ConEd has a different idea as to the source of the carbon monoxide and its idea of the source has not yet been addressed by the store?
I wonder about bringing a case against (suing) ConEd. I'm guessing it would be some sort of breach of contract case and the bagel shop would ask the court to "enjoin" (command) ConEd to timely inspect the premises and turn on the gas. The case would, I imagine, be brought in New York Supreme Court (that's our trial court).
A store owner in a position like this could potentially find no-cost legal help by telephoning the different law schools. Generally the law schools in New York have programs where attorney professors supervise students giving no-cost legal aid. They might be able to come up with ways to sue that would result in not only the injunction but monetary damages as well, depending on further facts not available from the new story.
To Blogger John Riley:
Carlina Rivera is not going to answer you. Perhaps you should try Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. I reached out to MBP Gale Brewer a few years ago regarding a certain matter (I also reached out to other politicians which included Carlina Rivera). MBP Gale Brewer was the only one who stepped up to the plate and responded to an email sent to her. Carlina Rivera and her office NEVER responded to the email sent to her.
Great note, John.
It isn't just small businesses impacted by Con Edison's slowness. My tenement has been without gas for cooking since late September. The landlord had the pipes replaced, and the DOB signed off on the work, but we are still waiting for Con Ed to come inspect it. We won't have gas for Thanksgiving, and I can't fit a turkey in my toaster oven. So Thanksgiving is screwed.
Carlina Rivera needs a challenger to at least get her motivated to protect her constituents better. She is running unopposed, so does not feel accountable. Look at how she's treating the area with the nightmarish plan to demolish East River Park. Think about running!
The city that never sleeps is more often than not the city that doesn't give a shit about you. Sad but true.
I called Rivera's office earlier and left a message. Will try Brewer's office now as well. Wishing Chris the fastest resolution of this miserable situation.
Called Brewer's office; they took message and "will call me back." I hope so...
I keep thinking NYC administration & representatives can't get worse, but apparently I am wrong about that.
Called Brewer's office & left message with actual human being; they claim they will call me back.
I also just submitted a "webform" written request for help to de Blasio's office and I included the link to EVGrieve story. Don't know if I'm spitting into the wind, but I'm doing everything I can think of to bring this to the attention of all the elected officials involved.
Particularly hard to reach anyone on this holiday week, but I hope someone will pay attention to this issue ASAP.
Much love to TSB.
I know two people whose buildings were without gas for over a year thanks to these kinds of delays .Flabbergasted that in this case it wasn't even the gas line in the first place.
I agree with @12:42– Rivera needs a primary challenger! We deserve better.
@Anonymous 1:14 p.m.
Which telephone number do you have for MBP Gale Brewer? I would be more than happy to provide you with the contact information I have for her.
A response this afternoon from Councilmember Rivera's office:
>> Thanks. We’re awaiting an update from Con Ed and urging them to move quickly on this issue.<<
So that is something. Keep up the good work, everyone. Perhaps someone could show this thread to the good folks at TSB, and let them know the community LOVES them and is trying to get stuff done.
More of this, friends. More of this.
A majority of the elected officials only show up when there are PHOTO OPS!
Here's a Staff List for MBP Gale Brewer's Office:
https://www.manhattanbp.nyc.gov/about/staff
Christopher Pugliese needs to contact Carlina Rivera's office - they are well aware of the issue but need information from the owner about his Con Ed account to proceed. Waiting on him.
The owner of the store needs to contact Carlina Rivera's office - councilmembers aren't allowed to advocate for any particular business without the business contacting them first, so, while the office is aware of the issue it is waiting on Christopher Pugliese to reach out.
This is about ConEd and NYC. McConnell has nothing to do with it. You're aware there is no national lockdown? This is a local issue not a national issue.
Maybe contact a news outlet? Eg Nina Pineda @ eyewitness news? Rooting for them! Hate this!
I just tweeted Brian Lehrer with this link. Not much of a twitterer myself but it seems like a way to reach people.
Pugliese mentioned government bureaucrats aren't interested in helping the remaining small businesses to survive in the city because they don't want them around.
Don't know what to say. There's always space somewhere North of New York City for a bagel shop.
@2:16pm: I phoned Gale Brewer's office using this number: 212) 669-8300.
If there is another one or a better one, please let me know. And thanks!
@8:24 PM:
That is the telephone # for MBP Gale Brewer's Office. You can also refer to the Staff List at:
https://www.manhattanbp.nyc.gov/about/staff
Also if someone could please email the metro reporter at the Wall Street Journal? ben.chapman@wsj.com
Hello all. Yesterday, around 4PM, I received a call from a head of energy services at Con Edison. She told me she had read this post and the comments and wanted to help me get my service back as quickly as possible. However, her hands were tied until I was able to pass the hurdles placed by DOB. After I hung up the phone, my manager placed a contact into my hand from Council-member Rivera's office. That's when it hit me that Grieve had posted a second story based off an email that I fired off to him in anger after a hellish weekend. Around 1AM, I got home from my 2nd Ave store, opened my laptop, and read the comments posted by my neighbors. The kind words and expressed in these comments were deeply moving, to the point that I actually teared up reading them. The past 8 months have been extremely hard on my staff and I. Even without a pandemic, when you run a small business in NYC you can easily get wrapped up in the seemingly never ending day to day battles of the fight to survive. Obstacles are constantly coming at you. It's very easy to fall into a foxhole 'us against the world' mentality and forget why you started your business in the first place. The kind words, the appreciation, and the fact that our neighbor's would rally for us, that means more to me than I can express. It will motivate me and the guys to work that much harder. Thank you. After checking out Grieve, I opened my email and learned that DOB had shot down our second attempt to obtain a work permit. This is tied to the fact that Kushner has unpaid fines and violations on the building. I was furious. This morning I woke up, opened my email, and like magic, the decision had been reversed and we are now approved. I'm floored and grateful by what you'll were able to accomplish in 24 hours. It's amazing. Even my contractor can not believe we got a call from Con Ed. He says it never happens. Hopefully we have gas back in a couple of weeks. Thank you all for writing those letters and thank you Grieve for publishing a second article.
Yes. In answer to a previous response. Moscow Mitch has a lot to do with the lack of response for stimulus geared towards small businesses. They should be receiving more assistance including the rest of us right now. But he only has his sights on packing the courts, blocking democrat measures, and riding high on power. If another package isn't passed soon, 85% of independent restaurants and shops will close. That is a fact laid the other day on MSNBC by chef Tom Colicchio. These additional costs for this bagel shop are unfair and not right.
@9:18am: Very happy to hear that this situation is starting to get un-stuck & that you're hearing from all the people/entities who can get your situation resolved, and I hope it's fully resolved ASAP.
You're a very much valued person in this community, and we love TSB as our go-to bagel shop. I'm glad that this blog & the commenters here were able to offer support & assistance - that's the power of community. I hope you & your family will have a Happy Thanksgiving!
@7:32am: Great idea - I think the WSJ should cover this, b/c first of all, in a sane world TSB's situation should not have happened, and secondly the whole "we can turn your gas off instantly, but we can't turn it back on again until the 12th of Never" deserves to be spotlighted with a million watts of attention.
And Kushner deserves to be shown for the shitty landlord he is. WSJ would be the perfect place to do that.
Apologies. I misread that email. DOB has still not approved our request for work. Until they do, we are stuck.
7:32 here again. 11:08 for the win, everyone.
Bagel Guy (can I call you that, sir?), keep the faith. You deserve every bit of goodwill and I can't wait for my next trip to visit TSB (whole wheat everything, toasted; with tofu, please, but watching my carbs now).
Stay on it with Councilmember Rivera's office. The WSJ angle is perfect, really. Send Ben Chapman a note. He's a bulldog reporter and the various angles here — why, they even reach our nation's capital, imagine that! — make it something a metro reporter should be able to pitch, report, and print.
Good luck. Please keep us posted. We're all reading, and hopefully we're emailing, too (I've done a good bit of that myself).
And thank you, Grieve! Be kind to one another.
don't care what ANYONE says/thinks---EV always supports its neighbors :)
I Love Tompkins Square Bagels and Chris is a good man and he cares alot about his employees and Us Bagel lovers! So I have a very good feeling that things are going to work out for the best, it may take a little time but it's going to be ok. Everyone willing to say a Prayer for Chris, let's do it, the more the better! Let's all Keep the Faith that Chris will get good news.
And Thank you EV Grieve, Thank you for your Kindness and your support of the East Village!!
Thank you readers
Hang in there, TSB. We appreciate you!
@8:28pm: We're going to keep the faith, and keep praying - but we're also going to continue calling & emailing everyone who can possibly help or provide publicity to bring as much attention to this as we can, b/c TSB isn't out of the woods yet, if you read the update from 12:25pm on 11/25.
This isn't over until TSB has its gas service back.
Today, I hope everyone is having a good Thanksgiving, and a special thank you to Grieve for keeping the community up-to-date on the things that matter.
Gale Brewer's office called me back today (11/27) and I gave them the info (by reading Grieve's article to them on the phone).
They wanted Chris's name & phone number, so I gave them Chris's full name & the phone numbers for BOTH of the TSB locations and I also gave them the address for the Ave. A store.
The person who called said they would be trying to reach Chris by phone to see what they could do to try to help.
Chris, if you actually heard from anyone at Brewer's office, please let us know if they were of help.
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