Assembly Member Tony Simone is advocating for a bill to eliminate New York City's winter ban on outdoor dining, implemented from December to March, which he deems detrimental to local businesses. Simone emphasizes the financial burden on restaurants that invested significantly in outdoor setups. Despite recent rules that allow roadway dining, participation has decreased dramatically compared to the previous program, with many barriers remaining for establishments, including the slow approval process for liquor licenses. Simone stresses that the current urban landscape has shifted from vibrant dining to car parking instead.
"We are the greatest city in the world, but sometimes we put a lot of rules in the way of making us even greater," Simone said outside Empire Diner.
"We did a really stupid thing, we made it too restrictive. We made that you had to take it down after some businesses spent spent close to $20,000, $30,000 for beautiful places outside."
"What's replacing them is not New Yorkers and tourists enjoying our streetscape, but cars parked," Simone said on Monday.
"SLA leaders may now 'expedite' their side of the process," Simone said, referring to the delays in the liquor license approvals.
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