The main Fox Business Flash headlines are here. See what clicks on FoxBusiness.com.
A swarm of community members in New York City gathered next to struggling restaurant workers and owners in Manhattan on Tuesday morning to advocate for financial aid to weather the coronavirus pandemic.
Hundreds of people filled Times Square, many with plates in hand, demanding more support from the city and the state for the restaurant industry.
Times Square in Manhattan (NYC Hospitality Alliance)
THE NEW YORK RESTAURANT OWNERS MAKE SALARY ALL YEAR, FIGHT TO STAY OPEN 3 DAYS A WEEK
New York State’s Latino Restaurant, Bar & Lounge Association (NYSRBLA), which hosted the meeting, is calling for rent and insurance, grants and loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, local and government funding programs and allowances, as well as “ help. ” of our local leaders “to help them through the tough times.
Andrew Rigie, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance and guest speaker at the meeting, said it is “now or never.”
“Looking at the costs in terms of jobs and revenues, the impact of empty storefronts on neighborhoods and other local businesses, and the impact on tourism and commuter and daily visitor spending, the government cannot afford to reduce the industry, ”said Rigie in a statement to FOX Business.
NYC RESTAURANTS SHOULD COVID-19 INDOOR DINING PAUSE AND ‘CHOOSE 1 DAY’ TO OPEN, STATES ISLAND ARTIST SAYS
The meeting started just a day after restaurants and bars faced yet another obstacle: a temporary ban on indoor dining. It was a harsh reality for an industry that was able to contain at least some of its losses by opening the back office with minimal capacity just a few months ago. Now they are forced to rely on takeout and delivery models as well as outdoor dining, which owners fear will not be sustainable.
Times Square in Manhattan (NYC Hospitality Alliance)
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT FOX BUSINESS
“We don’t see any way forward,” Bobby Digi, co-owner of O’Henry’s Publick House on Staten Island, previously told FOX Business.
The restriction was imposed to stem the wave of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations across the area, which New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo fears could get worse before it gets better.
Cuomo had warned repeatedly that the measure would take effect if hospital admissions failed to stabilize.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio also warned that the city could even face a “complete shutdown” as COVID-19 numbers remain high.
Times Square in Manhattan (NYC Hospitality Alliance)
Yet the restriction is the latest in a list of growing woes for the severely battered industry.
Even before the latest restrictions, two-thirds of New York restaurants said they would likely close by the end of the year without a comprehensive restaurant aid package, the association said, citing a report by the New York State Restaurant Association.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
According to a recent survey by the NYC Hospitality Alliance, 88% of businesses reported that they could not pay full rent in October, indicating that “the industry crisis is far from over.”
“We will not survive another closure!” NYSRBLA said. “We have to send a message: no more shutdowns.”
Representatives from the Blasio and Cuomo offices did not immediately respond to FOX Business’s request for comment.
NYC DINNER OWNER DEPLOYS CUOMO’S CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS, CALLS RESTAURANTS TO ‘UNITE’