Bottoms Up! Brunch bill passes City Council

New Yorkers can now brunch early and often.

The City Council passed legislation last week that will allow sidewalk cafes to begin operating on Sundays at 10 a.m., instead of the current time of 12 p.m., extending brunching opportunities for restaurants citywide.

Councilmember Steve Levin of Brooklyn and Councilmember Dan Garodnick of Manhattan celebrated the victory over iced coffees at a sidewalk café near City Hall last week.

“This law has been on the books for far too long and does not reflect the reality that New Yorkers eat brunch before noon on Sundays, they prefer brunch to lunch, and that they are hungry to eat brunch outdoors,” Levin said. “The time for waffling has passed and today the City Council stands resolute in their support of brunch. Thank you Speaker Quinn and Chair Garodnick for hash-ing out the details on this bill – without you, we would be toast,”

“New Yorkers will not be denied their Sunday brunch in the beautiful weather,” added Garodnick. “This regulation is outdated, widely disregarded, and hostile to business.  It needs to change.”

The New York City Hospitality Alliance was a huge advocate for the Brunch Bill. Andrew Rigie, executive director of the group, praised the news.

“The additional two hours of operating time will allow restaurants to generate some much-needed revenue and will surely be welcomed by brunch-loving New Yorkers and our visitors,” Rigie said.

“Brunch and sidewalk cafes have become as much a New York tradition as pastrami on rye and pizza pies,” added Andrew Moesel, a spokesperson for the New York State Restaurant Association. “Our restaurants are a large part of New York’s identity and we are proud that the City Council is protecting some of its most popular institutions.”

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