In a story published yesterday, Gothamist reporter Jake Offenhartz talked with co-owner Ola Abdelwahed, who admitted "that the last few months have left her closer to giving up than she ever thought possible."
The latest indignity came, she said, with the city and state's constantly changing guidelines for outdoor dining:
The final straw came a few days before Christmas, when city inspectors ordered B&H to dismantle their newly-erected sidewalk structure, due to its proximity to a curbside tree. (The bus lane on 2nd Avenue means B&H can't take advantage of on-street dining).
By that point, they'd already relocated the outdoor area twice to meet the city’s demands, while investing thousands of dollars in new wiring that will, in theory, eventually allow them to connect an outdoor heater. "When the man stopped by and told me about the tree, I almost had a heart attack. No one ever mentioned the tree, all of a sudden they remember the tree," Ola told Gothamist on a recent morning. "I give this place so much heart and emotion to continue the tradition, and the city wants to destroy us."
10 comments:
You have got to be kidding me. B&H’s outdoor dining setup in no way endangers that tree. Meanwhile, there is a restaurant on Avenue A and 12th that has built a structure with a roof that surrounds a tree and is absolutely threatening the health of the tree and no inspector has made them take it down. Why are some restaurants being held to ludicrous standards while others can flout all the rules?
This is so awful. My heart goes out to the co-owners of B&H for all the setbacks they have had to deal with. EVGrieve, thanks for your updates about them and including the link to the crowdfunding campaign, on which I HAD to click and donate after reading this post. And for all your coverage about so many other small businesses and iconic restaurants in our neighborhood that are struggling. It really matters.
In the past I've seen city inspectors targeting them for having their placard in the wrong place, while limitless happy hours ads are placed right in the middle of the sidewalk. Their crime is not serving alcohol. This is what happens when you don't have weak representation in the City Council. I haven't heard a peep in months from our rep, I've never talked to anyone who has even seen her, ever.
Everyone throw these people out if/when they come to your place of business. Everyone do it. They can’t enforce this crap if everyone flouts it. These aren’t laws, anyway. They weren’t passed by any legislature. They’re “mandates.” Sorry. Doesn’t count. Without a legal underpinning, they’re just “really, really, super serial suggestions,” as far as I’m concerned. Don’t roll over. Push back. Enough is enough. The Mayor or the Governor wants to enforce this crap? Let them come down and do it themselves. We’re not listening to your silly foot soldiers anymore. Have some sympathy and some taste. And, Attention: foot soldiers - if the city gives you a clipboard and a stack of inspections, don’t do them. Walk around all day. Collect your paycheck. Say everything looked fine. Go home and sleep at night knowing you’re not contributing to this misery.
So B&H gets in trouble for having tables not even close to a tree but all the restaurants that serve liquor up and down Avenue A can blast music all day and night? It’s out of control and it is impossible to get the city to do anything about it.
Could we get an update on Mahmoud “Mike” Tarabih, the lovely longtime countermand let go this summer? Latest update on his GoFundMe page was four months ago.
Given the levels of confiscatory taxation and oppressive regulation in NYC it’s amazing any small businesses survive.
NYC and NYS bureaucracy running out of control.
shut down poco, b&h shouldn't even be on the cities radar
Poco is a model of the mass pandemic of irresponsibility and selfishness we are witnessing today, but I don’t blame the restaurants as much as I do their patrons. Meanwhile there are illegal parties going on in “rooftop bars” all over the city. In addition to the illegal party that was busted on Prince Street, I have seen regular lines for at least three other party spots which have not been shut down. The demographics are all the same: young, dumb and in desperate pursuit of alcohol,
attention and quick hookups. But it’s not just young people who think they are immune. According to several family members, the oldsters out west in Arizona and California are out socializing every day without masks and without a care. The pandemic will never end as long as these people keep spreading it. But yeah, let’s focus on harassing B&H which doesn’t even serve alcohol.
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