Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
The curbside dining drama is coming to an end at Il Posto Accanto.
The owners of the decades-old restaurant at 190 E. Second St. started removing the roadside structure yesterday. The remaining wood flooring will be recycled today or tomorrow.
As reported last week, husband-and-wife owners Julio Pena and Beatrice Tosti di Valminuta had resisted removing the setup by the city's mandated date of Nov. 29.
Diners were still using the heated event tent with side walls and a weatherproof vinyl top. Pena told us that losing the 20-plus-seat space would impact their business, forcing them to lay off staffers during the holidays.
"We do not want to cut the hours of our staff or lay off staff. Give us until after the holidays," Pena told us last week.
The DOT, which oversees the city's new permanent Dining Out NYC program, served Il Posto Accanto with a 30-day notice to remove the streetery over the weekend.
However, ownership chose to go ahead and remove the outdoor dining spot here between Avenue A and Avenue B.
"We will not change who we are, how we interact with the neighborhood we love," Pena said. "We heard the community, we respect the community, and it's coming down. That's it."
Under the city's new guidelines, year-round roadway dining structures will no longer be permitted. The revised regulations stipulate that roadway cafes must now be open-air, easily portable, and simple to assemble and dismantle.
Additionally, these establishments are restricted to operating only from April through November. Sidewalk cafes are permitted year-round.
Whatever. Everybody complied in time.
ReplyDeleteTypical heartbreaking NYC story. Covid kills business for a while, puts restaurants almost out of business, but then allows for shacks in the street that turn out to be great expansion of business but then shacks are outlawed once Covid not considered a threat anymore. Business owner suffers loses having to now downsize.
ReplyDeleteLMAOOOO what? They got to stay up for years after, it was crazy. Nobody was entitled to have free rent on public transportation land. Give me a break. The entitlement from restaurants on this now is wild.
DeleteAm very thankful that the restaurant street sheds are finally down.
ReplyDeleteIt was one thing to help restaurants during Covid - but another thing to allow them to remain.
Street dining has meant trash, rats, zero visibility for pedestrians, blocked building entrances etc.
Also incredible that the City helped restaurants but did nothing for retail and local businesses which have and continue to suffer - high rent, ecommerce, theft.
While I am aware of the hardships restaurants face it must be remembered that 1) some restaurants do great especially the big LLCs and restaurant groups 2) there are actually too many restaurants and food places - it is a glut and they are competing against each other not to mention food delivery.
For identification here - lifelong NYC resident and don't drive :)
Finally some more FREE parking Love it. Hard working NY can use it
ReplyDeleteDon't worry. NYC will replace all of the sheds with Citi bikes. LOL
ReplyDelete