Open Plans 231d ago

We sat down with District 5 Council Member Julie Menin at Green Kitchen in the Upper East Side to discuss the current Outdoor Dining Program in NYC and how it could be improved. We also talked about: 🍽️ Her experience as a former restaurant owner in Lower Manhattan 🏙️ NYC's pioneering outdoor dining initiatives after 9/11 and her role in making them happen 🌳 Why there’s a need for more public open spaces throughout the city And more! ✨ 💚Thank you Green Kitchen for hosting us, and shout-out to Leo and Coca for making our outdoor dining experience amazing! At its peak, over 12,500 restaurants utilized outdoor dining. Now? The number of restaurants participating in the program has significantly diminished due to seasonal restrictions, new fees, and bureaucratic red tape. The pandemic era Open Restaurants program proved our curb lanes are valuable public space that can support local businesses and create thousands of dining opportunities. However, the City Council has now limited it to April-November only, forcing businesses to store equipment for four months or more – something most can't afford to do. 📢 Small businesses are struggling and New Yorkers are losing beloved neighborhood dining options. Learn more about our outdoor dining campaign: https://www.openplans.org/curbside-dining Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/openplansnyc/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@openplans X: https://x.com/OpenPlans BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/openplans.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/open-plans-nyc