Help is on the way to the thousands of small businesses, restaurants and bars across the borough that have been impacted by the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Queens Chamber of Commerce celebrated the passage of the American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden.
“The past year has been incredibly difficult for small business owners. Queens was the epicenter of the epicenter for the pandemic, and our local economy has suffered greatly,” Queens Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Grech said. “We’ve lost too many cherished neighborhood businesses, including nearly 1,000 of our 6,000 restaurants. Those that have survived are hanging on by a thread. This bill will provide much-needed relief to struggling small business owners, helping them keep the lights on, make payroll and continue to serve their customers.”
More than 23,000 restaurants in New York City provided more than 317,000 jobs and delivered nearly $27 billion in taxable sales in 2019. According to state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, employment in the city’s restaurant sector fell to 91,000 in April and sales fell 71 percent during the three-month period in March, April and May of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
The Queens Chamber of Commerce was a strong advocate for the passage of the Real Economic Support That Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed to Survive (RESTAURANTS) Act of 2020 and it worked with Congresswoman Grace Meng, restaurant owners and other stakeholders to advocate for passage of a relief fund for the restaurant industry.
The $1.9 trillion stimulus package signed by President Biden has a number of provisions intended to help small businesses, including $29 billion in direct aid to restaurants and an additional $7.25 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program.
“Restaurant and bar owners create economic opportunity in every community in every city and state across the country. They add to the character of our neighborhoods and help immigrants strive for the American dream,” Grech said. “We are so grateful to our representatives in Washington, including Senator Chuck Schumer, Congress member Gregory Meeks, Congress member Grace Meng, Congress member Tom Suozzi, Congress member Carolyn Maloney and the entire Queens delegation who worked hard to deliver this much needed aid to our restaurant industry.”
The Queens Chamber of Commerce is the oldest and largest business association in Queens representing more than 1,300 businesses and more than 125,000 Queens-based employees.
