Outdoor dining initiative extended in town

With the Delta variant becoming more prominent across the nation, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin and council members extend a popular initiative that helps local restaurant owners provide outdoor dining at their eateries through October 2022.

The supervisor was joined by elected leaders and councilmembers Dennis Dunne Sr. and Tom Muscarella, Aug. 12 outside Borrelli’s restaurant in East Meadow.  The Italian eatery has remained open throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and utilized the original outdoor dining initiative announced in May of 2020.

“It was not just 15 months ago that the Town of Hempstead initiated a program to help restaurants like Frank’s [Borrelli’s] and others in the area with an outdoor initiative and it proved to be very successful,” Clavin said. “But unfortunately, we’re seeing this Delta variant really have an impact on people.”

The extension would give restaurants a year more to create or expand outdoor dining areas without having to pay permit fees.

“We embraced the initiative whole-heartedly,” Dave Boller, the owner of Garden Social Beer Garden and Kitchen, said. “Having the ability to expand our seating to the outdoors, in the Covid environment, really allowed more people to come in.”

By waiving the fees associated with permits, which vary depending upon the size of the project,  the town could save business owners thousands of dollars. The extension also would help streamline the process.

“This isn’t about money, this is about helping,” Clavin said. “Sometimes government needs to listen to the business owners a little bit more to see how we can help them.”

There have been hundreds of restaurants in the town that have submitted the application, which is online, Clavin said. Upon completion, an inspector is sent to the restaurant and if the application is approved, eateries will be given a permit on-site.

Even though restaurants are once again open with no restrictions, owners say that residents are  wary about eating indoors because of the new Delta variant.

“We took the lead being one of the first in the nation to open outdoor dining,” Councilman Chris Carini said. “Whatever [the businesses] need from us please reach out to your local council people and we’ll get things done.”

Also at the news conference was Francine Doukas, the owner of Revel restaurant. Clavin said that when speaking to Doukas by phone, she said that Revel’s outdoor dining area was more important than dining indoors.

Frank Borrelli said his outdoor dining space was converted from an employee parking lot. Within 10 days of permit approval, construction for outdoor dining at Borrelli’s was underway.

“It’s been great. Without the patio, it’s tough to survive,” Borrelli said. “We give people the choice of indoor or outdoor. Without it, we probably wouldn’t have survived the first year.”

The supervisor said he was proud of the councils’ ability to find out what was needed. Clavin spoke with not only restaurant owners but also multiple Chamber of Commerce organization  throughout the town.

“The decision that the Town of Hempstead made here today to extend outdoor dining just shows that they’re putting the priority of the health and the safety of our community members first,” said Richie Krug Jr., the president of the East Meadow Chamber of Commerce. “It also shows that the businesses and their prosperity are equally important. I continue to urge those to shop locally and dine locally.”

Clavin said that members of the board voted on the measure bipartisan because they recognized that politics needed to be put aside so that people could be helped.

“The fact of the matter is that there are people who still want the choice,” Blakeman said about people’s preferences at restaurants. “We’re not only helping the restaurant owners out we’re helping the economy and we’re helping residents.”

Outdoor dining could be the new normal, Clavin said. “There’s still hesitation,” he said. “If next year we have to come back and have a discussion about extending it more, the town’s going to do it. We’re going to work, we’re going to help these businesses survive.”

For more information on the outdoor dining initiative call (516)-538-8500. To file go to hempsteadny.viewpointcloud.com.