Top 3 photos by Salim; additional reporting and photos by Stacie Joy
On Friday morning, more than a dozen Department of Sanitation and NYPD members closed the block of Third Street between Avenue B and Avenue C to dismantle Poco’s outdoor dining structures on the SE corner of Third and B...
... the view to the west from Avenue C...
Sources on the block said that Poco, known for their crowded boozy brunches, had accrued too many violations and did not have permits for their outdoor structures — one on Third Street and three huts attached to the restaurant's north-facing wall.
According to a local building superintendent, "they are very noisy; they make too much speaker noise."
A local resident on the block witnessed the dismantling: "DoS came with sawzalls and tore it down. They have been piling up violations since Covid. We called it the 'Covid Corner.'"
A Poco employee, who declined to give her name, said the owners decided to take down the structures. So why were the police and the Department of Sanitation there? "I don't know." The employee also said she didn't know if any citations were issued on the structures.
Here's how Poco looked after city workers left as staff members set up for Friday's brunch service...
The lack of outdoor dining structures didn't seem to dent Poco's brunch business on Saturday afternoon...
Poco's website advertises its "legendary brunch," where $47 gets unlimited mimosas, Bloody Marys, red or white sangria, and an entrée. Thursday through Sunday nights, Poco offers a "Bottomless Dinner" — $65 per person plus tax and tip for two hours of unlimited well drinks, wine and/or beer.
The city recently began cracking down on repeat offenders and abandoned curbside-dining structures through the Open Restaurants program.
Per the city:
Having removed the initial 24 abandoned sheds, the task force has begun identifying and removing additional sheds, investigating another 37 sheds identified as egregious violators of Open Restaurants program guidelines, and reviewing complaints and summons data to identify and remove other abandoned sheds throughout the five boroughs. Sheds reported to be abandoned will be verified as abandoned two separate times before receiving a termination letter, followed by removal and disposal of the shed.The task force will also review sheds that, while potentially active, are particularly egregious violators of Open Restaurants program guidelines. In these cases, sheds will be inspected three separate times before action is taken.
After each of the first two failed inspections, DOT will issue notices instructing the restaurant owner to correct the outstanding issues; after the third visit, DOT will issue a termination letter and allow 48 hours before issuing a removal notice. DOT will then remove the structure and store it for 90 days — if the owner does not reclaim it in that period, DOT will dispose of the structure.
one of the most reviled businesses in the EV
ReplyDeleteBest news all year
ReplyDeleteLamia's Fish Market outdoor dining have disappeared too, on Ave B.
ReplyDeleteOUR TAX DOLLARS at work!!! *WE* are paying to remove something this private business used to make itself a shit-load of $$$$$$$.
ReplyDelete@8:02 That point was discussed to exhaustion here last week. WE all agreed that restaurant should deposit removal fees with the city as part of outdoors sheds permits.
ReplyDeleteLamia's removed its curbside dining structure on May 10.
ReplyDelete@8:50 AM: And yet, that's not what's happening, is it?! Lovely theory, but not a reality. This removal is presumably not costing this place a cent.
ReplyDeleteThere should never be any shed permits, period. This summer should mark the END of this whole mess.
Hit 'em with the bill, which will have to be paid in full before their liquor license can be renewed.
ReplyDeleteDown with sheds, get the fuck out of our streets, no more rat shelters.
ReplyDeleteI rode my bike down Mulberry and the street is so narrow because of the sheds I don't think a truck can make it. Get rid of all the sheds. They're a health hazard if nothing else.
ReplyDeleteGood, but they are still a nightmare. They were a nightmare before the pandemic. If it's not the shrieking "wooooooo!!!!", it's the blasting bass from their PA speakers that you can hear a block away, they've gotten away with this forever and now started doing it on Thurs/Fri nights too in addition to the brunch BS.
ReplyDeleteThe city is being way too kind. Three additional notices? Just tell everyone they need to come the fuck down. Enough is enough. You can barely drive a sprinter down Mulberry.
ReplyDeleteAgree with @Noble Neolani and others.
ReplyDeleteBased on what I see on the streets, everyone seems to be acting like Covid is "gone" or "over". People are out every night in bars & restaurants WITHOUT masks; people are out on the weekends as if it's all just one big outdoor (and indoor) party, and I scarcely see a mask on anyone's face during the day except for older people.
So if Covid was the 'reason' for these sheds, then it's time for all the sheds to go, permanently.
And "yes" to the idea that the restaurants don't get their SLA permit if they don't pay for the cost of NYC taking the shed down!
Are you suggesting we go back to mandatory masking, lockdowns, etc?
DeleteThis restaurant has no respect for the neighborhood. I hope they continue to receive pressure from the city. They make living in the area on Sundays an absolute hell.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see the city is putting in effort to make the outdoors program work.
ReplyDelete@9:11 "There should never be any shed permits, period. This summer should mark the END of this whole mess." - Absolutely, and yet, that's not what's happening, is it?! Lovely theory, but not a reality.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what anyone else here is suggesting, but *I'm* suggesting that it appears most people have made their decision: that masks are not needed, and distancing is not needed, and they're not afraid of getting sick (whether with Covid or anything else that's contagious).
ReplyDeleteTherefore, IMO the dining sheds have outlived their purpose & should go bye-bye.
Unlimited drink specials are not allowed. File a report with the SLA.
ReplyDeleteThis is great now can the city get these types of establishments to TURN DOWN the music inside or seriously sound proof them and eliminate the outdoor speakers what exactly is the purpose of the speakers hung on the outside of restaurants other than to destroy the quality of life for those who live around it.
ReplyDeleteCB3 says outdoor speakers are a no no yet so many places still blasting music to no one butt the residents of the blocks they're on Covid the illness might not be over but Covid the event has passed time to roll back all the back bending given to hospitality businesses and require them to be responsible decent neighbors who respect those who live in the area
@4:41pm: Wouldn't it be nice if the MAYOR did something about this? But I'm afraid if he got involved, he'd only be here partying up a storm and the music would get even louder.
ReplyDelete"Quality of life" is a phrase that has less and less meaning in NYC with every passing day.
I wish they would take down all the sheds on 6th street between Ave A / B … and ave A and 1st actually .
ReplyDeleteNo one sits in there … and they attract rats and junkies !!!
drink specials with food are legal. not without food
ReplyDeleteI don't mind the sheds, as long as there's no outside recorded music, and wouldn't miss them if they all went away - but these guys really, really sucked.
ReplyDeleteFor all the naysayers, and you do have good points, from the point of view of a restaurateur you have to go for it. All but the most successful restaurants don't get to the end of their lease in the black. There are spots in midtown that have expanded their capacity +2x and are packed on busy nights. Yeah they should be paying but the city ain't great at governance right now, thanks DeBlasio (Adams only in for a while but I don't have high hopes), so if that's your business you get while the gettin's good.
@1:23am: I don't have ANY hopes for Adams & his administration to do anything useful in terms of governance.
ReplyDeleteIMO, we have a superannuated frat boy for a mayor, a guy whose priorities are dressing flashy & partying without ever saying who's paying.
I call this restaurant PoCovid. Filled with obnoxious people drinking screaming and DJS in the street during the worst part of the pandemic. They def don’t care about the health of their customers or the neighborhood.
ReplyDelete