Real Estate partner Nora Martins is quoted in a Bisnow article discussing the future of outdoor dining in New York City restaurants. The temporary Open Restaurants program has helped keep alive some 11,500 New York restaurants. Starting as an emergency policy to help struggling businesses, widespread outdoor dining has become a fixture of life in the Big Apple and changed the business playbook for restaurants and their landlords. The temporary Open Restaurants program will remain in effect for at least another year, and the Department of Transportation is overseeing implementation of a permanent program, which would streamline the permit process and eliminate zoning restrictions that prohibit outdoor dining in some areas. While the guidelines may change, the outdoor dining revolution isn't going anywhere.
“I think it's something that was a little lacking in New York, especially when you look at other major cities,” Martins said. “I think it’s here to stay.”