NYC Operators Form New Group

Operators in the Big Apple say they need a little lobbying help to represent their interests and address complaints about the business environment. The New York City restaurateurs are complaining that it has never been more difficult to open a new restaurant, in large part due to community boards and neighborhood activists. According to the Wall Street Journal, operators say their biggest problem is getting approval from community boards, which issue nonbinding recommendations to the State Liquor Authority on liquor licenses.

They’ve formed a lobbying group, the NYC Hospitality Coalition, supported by a number of the city’s high-profile restaurateurs, to serve as an addition to the city chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association. The two groups will work together to make the process of opening restaurants in the city a lot easier, according to the Journal.