Mayor de Blasio today extended the City’s overwhelmingly popular Open Restaurants program until the end of October, giving nearly 9,000 participating restaurants two extra months to serve diners in safe, socially distant outdoor spaces. The Mayor also unveiled 26 more locations for the weekend expansion of outdoor dining options under an initiative that combines two popular programs, Open Streets and Open Restaurants.
The program expands restaurant seating options onto car-free streets for select corridors throughout the five boroughs. Restaurants on these corridors will go farther away from the curb than other Open Restaurants participants, and the rest of the streets will be open to pedestrian traffic and emergency vehicles. Selected corridors will be operational on Friday from 05:00 – 11:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 11:00 p.m. The 26 new locations bring the citywide total to 47 participating streets.
The City will continue to work with the restaurant industry to ensure there is clarity on the guidelines for roadway seating setups. “Open Restaurants has given New Yorkers more than just a meal away from home – it has given our city a sign that better times are ahead,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I am proud to give small businesses another two months to get back on their feet, and I’m looking forward to enjoying a meal on our expanded Open Street program soon.”
“Our Open Restaurants initiative has been a tremendous team effort and we are excited to give more restaurants — in places like Forest Hills, Queens and University Heights in the Bronx — additional room to serve their customers and put people back to work,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “We thank Mayor de Blasio, the teams from DOT and our sister agencies, and all the BIDs and other neighborhood organizations which have been working with us to make outdoor dining part of an expanded Open Streets program.”
The first round of Open Restaurant locations, announced July 2nd, focused on streets that are already participating in the Open Streets program, and on corridors represented by organizations that have worked with DOT on street closures in the past. This second tranche of locations includes additional applicants from partners and restaurant groups new to DOT.
New streets will be in the following locations:
| Organization | On Street | From Street | To Street | Borough |
| Salsa Con Fuego *this location will open on Saturday, July 24, 2020 | Cedar Avenue | W. Fordham Road | Landing Road | Bronx |
| Concord Hill | Graham Avenue | Skillman Avenue | Conselyea Street | Brooklyn |
| Sunset Park BID | 5th Avenue | 40th Street | 41st Street | Brooklyn |
| Park Slope 5th Avenue BID | 5th Avenue | President Street | 3rd Street | Brooklyn |
| Park Slope 5th Avenue BID | 5th Avenue | 10th Street | 13th Street | Brooklyn |
| Blind Tiger | Jones Street | Bleecker Street | W. 4th Street | Manhattan |
| Von Design, Ltd. | Bleecker Street | Mott Street | Bowery | Manhattan |
| MacDougal Merchants Association | MacDougal Street | W. 8th Street | W. 3rd Street | Manhattan |
| Sushi Vida | Dyckman Street | Broadway | Seaman Avenue | Manhattan |
| St. Tropez Soho, LLC | Spring Street | 6th Avenue | Thompson Street | Manhattan |
| Village Alliance | W. 8th Street | 5th Avenue | 6th Avenue | Manhattan |
| Hangawi Restaurant | E. 32nd Street | 5th Avenue | Madison Avenue | Manhattan |
| Alliance for Downtown NY | Pearl Street | Broad Street | Hanover Square | Manhattan |
| Alliance for Downtown NY | Pine Street | William Street | Pearl Street | Manhattan |
| Rezdora | E. 20th Street | Park Avenue | Broadway | Manhattan |
| Rivington East Merchants Association | Rivington Street | Essex Street | Norfolk Street | Manhattan |
| Osteria Morini | Lafayette Street | Spring Street | Kenmare Street | Manhattan |
| Derossi Global | E. 7th Street | Avenue A | 1st Avenue | Manhattan |
| Village Alliance | St. Marks Place | 3rd Avenue | 2nd Avenue | Manhattan |
| The Hairy Lemon | Avenue B | E. 2nd Street | E. 3rd Street | Manhattan |
| Flatiron 23rd Street Partnership | W. 22nd Street | 5th Avenue | 6th Avenue | Manhattan |
| Cervo’s | Canal Street | Orchard Street | Essex Street | Manhattan |
| Kettle of Fish | Christopher Street | Waverly Place | 7th Avenue South | Manhattan |
| Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce | 70th Road | Austin Street | Queens Boulevard | Queens |
| Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce | Austin Street | 72nd Avenue | 72nd Road | Queens |
| Thai Community USA | Woodside Avenue | 76th Street | 78th Street | Queens |
”The expansion of the Open Restaurant program is vital to the survival of many small businesses throughout the city and we must continue to do all that we can to provide opportunities for them to thrive,” said Council Member Diana Ayala. “This initiative which allows expanded seating options will foster commercial revitalization. I want to thank the Mayor, Commissioner Trottenberg, and BIDs throughout the City for working to bring open dining on open streets.”
“Outdoor seating for restaurants and bars remains the only bright light in an otherwise bleak outlook for our neighborhood hospitality businesses and its thousands of workers. We thank the Mayor for expanding this well received program that is transforming streets and parking spaces into welcoming dining oasis. We also appreciate his willingness to work with us to clarify guidelines and improve efforts to ensure compliance among program participants,” said Andrew Rigie and Robert Bookman, Executive Director and Counsel to the NYC Hospitality Alliance.
“We re excited to see that the city is extending and expanding the Open Restaurants program. It’s clear that it’s been popular with patrons and purveyors, and it’s impossible to overstate the importance to New York City’s economy of getting our restaurants back on track. We’re grateful to Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Trottenberg and their teams, and all the partner organizations, for their efforts in making Open Restaurants a success,” said Eric McClure, Executive Director of StreetsPAC.
“Mayor de Blasio’s Open Streets Program has brought new life to New York City’s streets,” said Nick Sifuentes, Executive Director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “Not only is the program a critical lifeline for struggling businesses, it’s also a historic demonstration of how the city can safely reopen and thrive as we rebound and retrench in the wake of CoViD-19. Repurposing space for outdoor dining is making some neighborhoods feel as vibrant as they were over half a century ago, before our streets were surrendered to cars. We commend the Mayor for expanding this program and we hope that it remains a tool for long-term reimagining of New York City’s streets.”
“The restaurants on 70th Road and on Austin Street near 72nd Ave are so excited to expand their seating with the open street closures,” said Leslie Brown, President of the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce. “The street closure can really benefit the restaurants and at the same time bring the community together on these summer evenings! I encourage everyone to come out, invite friends and don’t forget the other small businesses that you know and love by supporting them!”
“The first section of Open Streets: Restaurants on Fifth Avenue (between Dean Street and Park Place) has been so successful that we have received a number of requests from restaurant owners along Fifth Avenue to expand the program. With these additional sections closed Fifth Avenue is now a top outdoor dining destination in NYC,” said Mark Caserta, Executive Director of Park Slope Fifth Ave BID.
“Open Streets: Restaurants truly brings Greenwich Village together. The program provides a much-needed lifeline to our businesses while allowing for socially responsible dining,” said William Kelley, Executive Director of Village Alliance BID.
“We are finally realizing the true potential of streets as places, not simply as a means to moving traffic,” said Danny Harris, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “Our streets are a path to New York’s recovery from this pandemic, so we’re pleased to see the Open Streets initiative evolving and finding new ways to reclaim space from cars and create vibrant, inclusive streets for people.”
“We commend Mayor de Blasio and the Department of Transportation for continuing to reconfigure street space to safeguard New Yorkers during the pandemic. By prioritizing people over cars on the participating streets, the City is protecting the health of New Yorkers while creating much-needed opportunities for recreation, commerce, and community building that would not otherwise be there,” said Tom Wright, Regional Plan Association President and CEO.
“Extending the Open Restaurants program through October is a common sense way to allow New Yorkers to take advantage of the summer weather and enjoy the fresh air. The popularity of the Open Streets and Open Restaurants programs proves that we can reimagine our streetscape and help small businesses at the same time. Reallocating space to diners and pedestrians is a win-win for public health, air quality, and our economy as we recover from CoViD. We thank Mayor de Blasio for extending this successful program,” said Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters.
“We are all thrilled and we would like to thank the Mayor’s office, the DOT, and SBS for making our dream a reality!,” said Patrick Daley, Offishal President, Kettle of Fish.
“In Sunset Park, Brooklyn, the DOT “Open Streets: Restaurants” program will throw a lifeline to small businesses that are fighting for survival. Business Improvement Districts are able partners for community and economic recovery. We stand ready to support this and other creative solutions that promote public health and commerce,” said David Estrada, Executive Director, Sunset Park 5th Ave BID.
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