C&B foregoes curbside cafe space after city can't seem to decide on outdoor dining guidelines

[Photo via @candbnyc]

We've heard from several frustrated restaurant owners in the neighborhood who abruptly had to change their curbside dining setups at the request of the city — despite following the city's instructions to the letter.

Pete Wells at the Times reported on the mixed messages courtesy of the city back on July 2.

Under an emergency program launched on June 22 to aid the ailing restaurant industry, some 6,800 establishments citywide were authorized to serve food and drinks on sidewalks and curbside spaces.

Inspections have continued this past week, and places such as Il Posto Accanto on Second Street have had to tear apart their solid and previously OK'd curbside dining arrangement – within 24 hours or risk losing their outdoor dining permit.

C&B Cafe on Seventh Street between Avenue A and Avenue B posted about their experiences on Instagram yesterday:

This is how the story goes. Three different city/state officials came the last four days to give us different information about how we should practice the outdoor dining. Also we have four different emails from DOT about the guidelines suggesting different ways of building the spaces.

As you can imagine it is time-consuming and expensive to constantly change/build based on new information we get. Since the city is not covering all those expenses and labor we decided to keep the outdoor space as [owner Ali Sahin's] garden. He is going to try and keep these wonderful plants alive for the rest of the summer and hopefully find a permanent home for them once this thing is over.

Sahin decided against fighting the bureaucracy any further as C&B is primarily a takeout space to begin with.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• A second look at Phase II dining in the East Village

A second look at Phase II dining in the East Village

[Casa Adela, Avenue C]

Phase 2 is in full swing, with bars and restaurants with the proper permits OK'd to serve food and drinks on newly created sidewalk and street spaces. (Dining inside is still off limits.)

We looked at a few of the outdoor dining options Tuesday... EVG contributor Stacie Joy checked out more of the newly deputized open spaces around the neighborhood, from cafes adding a table or two out front to artificial turf on the street ...


[Lavagna, 5th Street]


[Nowon, 6th Street]


[B&H Dairy, 2nd Avenue]


[Kafana, Avenue C]


[Takahachi, Avenue A]


[Lower East Side Coffee Shop, 14th Street]


[Khiladi, Avenue B at 11th Street]


[Il Posto Accanto, 2nd Street]


[Cortadito, 3rd Street]


[Supper, 2nd Street]


[KC Gourmet Empanadas, Avenue B]


[Hibachi Express Dumplings, 14th Street]


[Au Za’atar, Avenue A at 12th Street]


[San Loco, Avenue C]


[Buenos Aires, 6th Street]


[Gnocco, above and below, 10th Street]




[C&B Cafe, 7th Street]


[Westville East, Avenue A at 11th Street]


[Desi Galli, Avenue B]


[Lil' Frankie's, 1st Avenue]


[Veselka, 2nd Avenue at 9th Street]

Phase II dining, here we go

[Photo at Tallgrass Burger on 1st Avenue by Sonya]

Phase 2 commenced yesterday, and with that, bars and restaurants with permits for Phase 2 open space are now OK to serve food and drinks on newly created sidewalk, and in some cases, street spaces. (No indoor dining yet!)

As Gothamist reported, as of yesterday morning, there have been 3,192 applicants for additional Phase 2 outdoor space, per the Mayor's Office and city's Department of Transportation.

Here's a sampling of East Village establishments and what they're doing to make outdoor dining available... there are tables in the parking spaces adjacent to the bike lane and roadway on Second Avenue between Fifth Street and Sixth Street outside Local 92 and Frank... via EVG regular Lola Saénz...




[Tarallucci e Vino, 1st Avenue at 10th Street]




[Tatsu Ramen, 1st Avenue]

... these photos are all from Steven...


[Miss Lily's, 7th and A]


[Mudspot Café, 9th Street]


[Kitchen Sink, 5th Street at 2nd Avenue]




[St. Dymphna's, Avenue A]


[Tacos Cuautla Morelos, 9th Street]

Elsewhere... Lucien has a few socially distant tables here on First Avenue ...



... and Rosie's on Second Avenue at Second Street already had ample outdoor space...

... and on Second Street between Avenue A and Avenue B, Il Posto Accanto has sidewalk and curb seating...


[Via @ilpostoaccanto]

We'll have an update later this week as more restaurants get their outdoor seating together...

The city released guidelines (document here) for safely dining out ... here's a recap via Grub Street:

Customers themselves are advised to limit their exposure by making reservations in advance and looking at menus online, practice social distancing and hand hygiene; to also wear coverings; and stay home if they are either sick or vulnerable to the coronavirus. The guidelines don’t account for how these rules will be enforced across the city, and there is the issue of whether customers and business owners actually comply.

And check out Eater's explainer on Phase 2 dining here.

Now entering Phase II

[East 14th Street]

The city officially enters Phase 2 today, which allows for the reopening of outdoor dining at bars and restaurants, in-person retail, hair salons and barber shops (though excluding personal care services like nail salons and spas) ... and more office jobs, with less capacity and mandatory COVID-19 safeguards in place like social distancing and facial coverings.

Of particular interest is how, exactly, the outdoor dining portion will work. Mayor de Blasio unveiled the plans back on Thursday. Here are excerpts from the city's press release:

The City’s Open Restaurants program ... allows qualifying restaurants and bars to expand outdoor seating on sidewalks, curb lanes, backyards, patios, plazas, and Open Streets as New York City begins Phase 2 of reopening. The City has established an expedited approval processes by allowing restaurants and bars to self-certify their eligibility for curb lane and sidewalk seating using a new, streamlined application process at NYC.Gov...

Open Restaurants gives dining establishments five new options. Beginning in Phase 2, restaurants can implement seating in curb lanes and sidewalks. Phase 2 allows reopening and use of as of right outdoor space in backyard and patios. Restaurants can also work with their local Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) to establish seating in plazas. Beginning in July, restaurants can offer seating on Open Streets on nights and weekends.

Sidewalk seating will be in effect until the end of October. Curb lane seating will last through Labor Day. DOT will work with community groups and partner agencies to identify additional seating within full streets closures in July. Restaurants can work with their local BID and DOT to request additional seating in plazas by emailing Plazas@dot.nyc.gov.

Customers are not permitted to gather outside of establishments. Businesses that repeatedly fail to comply will have their Open Restaurant authorization revoked by DOT, and will be referred to the SLA.

This NYC.gov link has more details on how the Open Restaurants scenario will work.

I haven't heard yet of any plans to close East Village streets for outdoor dining. (If you have, then please let me know!) Closing off Avenue B as part of Open Streets hasn't exactly been a success.