Transit Strike & NYC Restaurants

[Sneakeater]

Will they find a cab after dinner ?

FWIW, I had no trouble finding a cab after dinner last night. (I went to Tulcinga del Valle, which was no more or less crowded than usual on a Tuesday night.) Maybe I was just lucky, who knows? I'll find out after dinner tonight.

[Sneakeater]

I guess I should say this, though.

The reason I had dinner at Tulcinga del Valle last night is that it immediately became apparent to me, when I left work at about 7, that it would be much easier to find a cab home to Brooklyn later on in the night -- at 7 p.m., it didn't look like any cabs were going to be willing to leave the island. And, in fact, it was easier later on; I had no trouble getting home after dinner.

So at least one NYC restaurant gained business last night on account of the strike. Of course, I realize that it was dependent on someone's not freaking out and getting hysterical about how disasterous his situation was.

Edited December 21, 2005 by Sneakeater (log)

[annecros]

I guess I should say this, though.

The reason I had dinner at Tulcinga del Valle last night is that it immediately became apparent to me, when I left work at about 7, that it would be much easier to find a cab home to Brooklyn later on in the night -- at 7 p.m., it didn't look like any cabs were going to be willing to leave the island.  And, in fact, it was easier later on; I had no trouble getting home after dinner.

So at least one NYC restaurant gained business last night on account of the strike.  Of course, I realize that it was dependent on someone's not freaking out and getting hysterical about how disasterous his situation was.

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Wow. I hope that was not directed at anyone personally, or contained any political overtones? One restaurant had one customer.

I too, have little patience with those who 24 hours into a mess are in a panic. After all, if you have fair warning as hurricane victims and the people in New York have had, you at least put a bottle of water and a can of tuna in the cupboard. In fact, the biggest BBQ's I have ever been to have been post storm. Fun to be had by all the first day or two or even three for those who plan ahead. After all, it will go bad if it is not eaten, right?

Those that cannot or do not plan ahead are a separate issue. They exist, they will always exist, and deserve a bit of compassion.

A city without electricity for 24 or 48 is sad. I understand. I have been without electricity for time measured in days, and in one case weeks. It is hard, and as each day passes, it gets worse. No need to get hysterical, but no need to like it either.

I just feel sorry for those who cannot prepare, or will not prepare for some reason.

I hope this all works out soon, and is no longer a topic. I really feel for you guys up there, even you Sneakeater. Hope you find good grub.

[AK@Spicehouse]

I guess I should say this, though.

The reason I had dinner at Tulcinga del Valle last night is that it immediately became apparent to me, when I left work at about 7, that it would be much easier to find a cab home to Brooklyn later on in the night -- at 7 p.m., it didn't look like any cabs were going to be willing to leave the island.  And, in fact, it was easier later on; I had no trouble getting home after dinner.

So at least one NYC restaurant gained business last night on account of the strike.  Of course, I realize that it was dependent on someone's not freaking out and getting hysterical about how disasterous his situation was.

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Wow. I hope that was not directed at anyone personally, or contained any political overtones? One restaurant had one customer.

I too, have little patience with those who 24 hours into a mess are in a panic. After all, if you have fair warning as hurricane victims and the people in New York have had, you at least put a bottle of water and a can of tuna in the cupboard. In fact, the biggest BBQ's I have ever been to have been post storm. Fun to be had by all the first day or two or even three for those who plan ahead. After all, it will go bad if it is not eaten, right?

Those that cannot or do not plan ahead are a separate issue. They exist, they will always exist, and deserve a bit of compassion.

A city without electricity for 24 or 48 is sad. I understand. I have been without electricity for time measured in days, and in one case weeks. It is hard, and as each day passes, it gets worse. No need to get hysterical, but no need to like it either.

I just feel sorry for those who cannot prepare, or will not prepare for some reason.

I hope this all works out soon, and is no longer a topic. I really feel for you guys up there, even you Sneakeater. Hope you find good grub.

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Sad thing is the effect this has on the lowest wage earners in the industry. Line cooks are staying home. 9 hour days at $9.00 per hour net you $55 after taxes. To travel from the Bronx or Queens can cost $25 in a gypsy cab or similar. Add it up, call the chefs as I do. Its bad, really bad.

[Sneakeater]

One restaurant had one customer.

As I said, that restaurant was no more or less crowded than on most other Tuesdays I've eaten there. I know that's still anecdotal -- only one restaurant -- but at least it's based on firsthand experience rather than guesswork about what might happen.

Of course, now that I've said that, Jovia will probably be empty tonight. As I promised, I'll give you a report.

(PS -- I know we're not supposed to be arguing about this, but I think you disprove your own point when you talk about people being without power and water. THAT'S a disaster. This inconvenience is simply incomparable to that, and I think it does the victims of real disasters a disservice to suggest it is comparable. Nobody's going without any essentials here. Nobody's supermarket is unstocked, for example -- nor will they be. That just isn't what this experience is like. Did NYC request disaster relief from the federal government after either of the last two transit strikes? Wouldn't it have been considered laughable if it did?)

Edited December 21, 2005 by Sneakeater (log)

[Daniel]

I am assuming economics isnt your thing.. Do you really need to ask where the money is going to come from? Lets see commuter taxes, gas taxes, removing senior discounts on off peak hours,car regerstration taxes, or the half off Sunday fairs they ended,raising the Subway Fair 60 CENTS (going from 50 cent to $1.10)..These were all over there solutions 25 years ago after that strike.. As history has shown, the average New Yorker will pay..

Edited December 21, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[annecros]

One restaurant had one customer.

As I said, that restaurant was no more or less crowded than on most other Tuesdays I've eaten there. I know that's still anecdotal -- only one restaurant -- but at least it's based on firsthand experience rather than guesswork about what might happen.

Of course, now that I've said that, Jovia will probably be empty tonight. As I promised, I'll give you a report.

(PS -- I know we're not supposed to be arguing about this, but I think you disprove your own point when you talk about people being without power and water. THAT'S a disaster. This inconvenience is simply incomparable to that, and I think it does the victims of real disasters a disservice to suggest it is comparable. Nobody's going without any essentials here. Nobody's supermarket is unstocked, for example -- nor will they be. That just isn't what this experience is like. Did NYC request disaster relief from the federal government after either of the last two transit strikes? Wouldn't it have been considered laughable if it did?)

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We are not supposed to be arguing about this. You are right.

Love and kisses. Have a lovely dinner.

[slkinsey]

All: I'm going to say this one more time, and then I'm going to lock this thread if it continues to wander away from our topic. We are a food-focused Society. The guiding idea behind the eG Forums is that they are for substantially food-related discussion. Let's keep that in mind when making any further posts in this thread. If it's not firmly in the realm of food, please step away from the "add reply" button and think it over.

I have not done a lot of deleting in this thread thus far, and have left some posts stand that I might reasonably have deleted. From this post on my expectations as to topicality will be much higher, and my next piece of moderation will be to lock the thread.

This could be an interesting discussion about how the many ways the transit strike is affecting various facets of the NYC food and restaurant industry. Let's do that.

[Megan Blocker]

I read the comments and I have to ask are you all kidding ? Restaurants are laying off staff, closing for the night and business is decimated. As a supplier to the city's busiest restaurants, I can estimate that business is off by 75%. The busiest time of the year, and there is no customer. Yeah, Per Se diners dont take the subway, but will they get into a cab with two other people they dont know in a group ride to travel for an hour through 9 blocks of gridlock ? Will they find a cab after dinner ? Hotels will keep guests in their dining rooms, but will anyone else venture out ? So far, NO !!!

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AK...I'd be interested to know what kinds of places you supply to...I took a walk around my neighborhood (UES) tonight, and pretty much every place (bars and restaurants) was jumping - normal for a Wednesday during the holidays. Now, of course, these are mostly neighborhood places - we don't have a lot of "destination" restaurants in the east 80's and 70's.

I have heard, though, that some neighborhoods are very quiet...maybe more of your customers are in these neighborhoods? I'm thinking places like Midtown might be quieter at night - people leaving early from work to walk home...

I also wonder if some people might use the strike as an excuse to take a breather in the middle of an incredibly hectic holiday season. I know I've done that - it's certainly not welcome, and the economic impact on the city is staggering, but I'm glad not to have to go out tonight.

This concludes my anti-social confession.

Edited December 22, 2005 by Megan Blocker (log)

[Pan]

Some restaurants are shut solid in this strike. I noticed that the Pongsri Thai on 2nd Av. near 18 St. was closed yesterday and today. Unless they're on vacation or closed for good, that may be strike-related.

Cacio e Pepe on 2nd Av. between 11th and 12th was full last night, though.

It seems to me that most of the restaurants in the East Village and Gramercy are open.

[Sneakeater]

Since my experience at Jovia tonight was pretty congruent with my expectations, I should set forth my expectations first, so you can discount my observations to the extent they were influenced by them.

I would have expected a fairly high-end restaurant to be mildly adversely affected by the strike.

Jovia is on East 64th St. between Park and Lexington. That means it's in an incredibly affluent residential neighborhood, convenient to a central business district.

Jovia is laid out on two levels. The first floor is a bar. The second floor holds the dining rooms.

At 7 PM on a Wednesday (much more the Wednesday before Christmas), you'd expect the bar to be packed, the way the bar is at the similarly located DavidBurke&Donatella. When I arrived at Jovia at 7 PM tonight, though, the bar was almost empty.

I waited for my companion and we had our drinks. We stayed at the bar for about a half hour. The bar was still fairly empty when we went upstairs.

When we arrived at our table at about 7:30 PM, the dining rooms were sparsely populated. Not empty, not even nearly empty, but sparse.

By the time we left about two hours later, however, the dining rooms were pretty much full.

So this wasn't the kind of jam-packed crowd you might expect on the Wednesday before Christmas. But it was hardly anything that could be called bad business, either. (Of course, I've never been to Jovia before. It's hard to know what impact Frank Bruni's lukewarm review in the Times has had on business there, irrespective of any transit problems.)

I'd hazard a guess that restaurants in residential neighborhoods to which they are appropriate, like Jovia on the Upper East Side or the more modest restaurants near where I live, will do fine in the strike. I think that restaurants that either are not in residential neighborhoods, or are in residential neighborhoods to which they are not appropriate ("appropriate" isn't the best word, but I'm thinking of places like WD-50 or THOR on the Lower East Side, which I can't believe attract many locals), will be more at risk. I continue to think that the strike will have a mildly negative effect on restaurants as a whole.

(Regrettably, I was sufficiently interested in my conversation with my companion that I neglected to eavesdrop on conversations at adjoining tables to try to ascertain whether our fellow diners came from the neighborhood or had travelled to eat there.)

If anyone cares, I hung out at my friend's apartment for a while after dinner. I had no problem getting a cab from the Upper East Side to Brooklyn at about 11:30 PM.

Edited December 22, 2005 by Sneakeater (log)

[M.X.Hassett]

Thanks for the report, but could you post here on how Jovia was?

Edit: removed a "here"

Edited December 22, 2005 by M.X.Hassett (log)

[johnder]

Well we may be in luck.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Striking transit workers agreed to take steps to go back to work while their union and the transit authority resume negotiations, a state mediator said Thursday morning.

It looks like they are just wating for the exec board to vote on it.

[Sneakeater]

Thanks for the report, but could you post here here on how Jovia was?

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Hey hey I'm working on it. Reviews take work.

[Fat Guy]

Just heard on 1010 WINS that we're back in business.

[Pumpkin Lover]

Just heard on 1010 WINS that we're back in business.

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WOO!!

[annecros]

Great news! Hope you guys get back to normal in the next day or two!

[cchen]

The taxi cabs were ridiculous last night. At 10 pm I went out with a friend from the UWS and wanted to go to Babbo to see if they had any empty tables. We get in the cab, and the cabbie says it'll cost us $20 each from UWS to Babbo. Ridiculous!!

[Raoul Duke]

Supply side economics. They teach this at Wharton not Columbia.

[Varmint]

A friend of mine is in NYC with his family, and he's been loving the strike. He's been able to walk in and get immediately seated at Nobu, Per Se, Jean Georges. He's also been able to get the best seats in the house at the theaters for $50! He's one of the few who will be saddened with the end of the strike.

[rich]

It's amazing what the threat of having Christmas Dinner in a Center Street jail cell will do.

[M.X.Hassett]

A friend of mine is in NYC with his family, and he's been loving the strike.  He's been able to walk in and get immediately seated at Nobu, Per Se, Jean Georges.  He's also been able to get the best seats in the house at the theaters for $50!  He's one of the few who will be saddened with the end of the strike.

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Funny I was regretting not being there. I left the day it started, if I had been there I would have hit every hard to get reservation restaurant in Manhattan(though I have never had a problem getting a reservation or with walk ins mind you I normally dine alone). Same thing happened during the blackout I was out of the area for the "stoop party". Well just know I am down in ATL and you guys have been having better weather then us. Well at least I wont have trouble getting home from LGD.

Edit: feh

Edited December 23, 2005 by M.X.Hassett (log)

[rich]

Owners of The Russian Samovar, a theater district restaurant partly owned by dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov until earlier this year, on Thursday sued the Transport Workers Union, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the city.

In the lawsuit filed in Manhattan State Supreme Court, they blamed the ``outrageous, purposeful, illegal and intentionally harmful strike'' for revenue loss.

This came in this morning. The restaurant is asking for $25,000 a day for themselves and a $15 million fund for all other restaurants to be included in the class action suit.

[Fat Guy]

There's a piece about it in Newsday:

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/new...egion-apnewyork

(Says basically what Rich says, but with quotes and such)

[Megan Blocker]

It's amazing what the threat of having Christmas Dinner in a Center Street jail cell will do.

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Wonder what's on the menu down there?