Archinect - News

Outdoor dining in New York City to become permanent — and stricter

2023-08-07T17:18:00-04:00

Outdoor dining along New York City streets, one of the rare pandemic-era accommodations that proved popular, is set to become permanent — but in a way that could drive many restaurant owners to take down their streetside sheds for good.

A New York City Council bill introduced in February that will make outdoor dining structures in roadways permanent through a licensing system was passed last week. The move aims to preserve the popular program while being able to exert more control over it. One stipulation is that roadway structures can only stand from April through November, which would be followed by their deconstruction and storage during the winter. This aspect of the bill has seen blowback from restaurant owners who claim it will be a costly task that also impacts dining options for patrons and the employment of restaurant workers.

Previously on Archinect: Third wave Open Streets: Open for whom?

With the bill, New York City’s Transportation Department is set to establish basic design guidelines for outdoor dining. Restaurants will now be required to pay fees based on their location and square footage. Establishments in historic districts or landmark sites will also need to acquire approval from the city’s Landm...

New York City is debating a permanent move to keep outdoor dining structures in place despite criticism

2022-02-14T14:07:00-05:00

Big changes to the Big Apple’s alfresco restaurant scene are on the table — including a plan to get rid of its popular, but controversial, outdoor dining sheds. The head of the city Department of Transportation’s Open Restaurants Program told a City Council committee on Tuesday that the makeshift structures won’t be allowed to remain standing after the COVID-19 pandemic eases.

The makeshift structures will be allowed to remain in place until July, according to Department of Transportation’s Open Restaurants Program director Julie Schipper, who said a more thorough application process would be enacted that would do away with “these full houses … in the street.”

The sheds have been hailed by some as a potential pathway to an Open Streets initiative proposed by the previous mayoral administration that would remake much of Manhattan’s grid-like layout into a car-free pedestrian zone. Others have been vehemently opposed to their existence, complaining that their presence in neighborhoods like the Lower East Side has led to increases in rodent infestation, street crime, and a lack of accessibility.

Previously on Archinect: Third wave Open Streets: Open for whom?

“While we’ve created a program for restaurants, we haven’t created a program for the shoe store next door, for the bookstore next door to that, to the hardware store that have all lost sidewalk space, t...

Third wave Open Streets: Open for whom?

2021-07-02T09:00:00-04:00

According to New York Times restaurant critic, Pete Wells, who “loves outdoor dining,” the Big Apple is in the process of another makeover with a “third wave” of Open Restaurants being added to the city’s already bustling streets.

Nevertheless, as more parking spaces are given over to myriad semi-permanent structures, how this program is enacted will determine who is able to enjoy the public realm. Are restaurant-going people the only New Yorkers that should stand to benefit from this significant shift in urban design?

Open Restaurants and Open Streets were conceived in 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, in which indoor dining was prohibited, allowing restaurants to move their tables outside. The latter was designed to provide additional public space for New Yorkers to socially distance outdoors. Restaurant-going locals have enjoyed the redesign of city streets—however provisional the structures—and now, through regulation, the city has the opportunity to make this a...

Delivery-only "ghost kitchens" could reshape the restaurant industry

2019-09-26T16:00:00-04:00

As more people order food to eat at home, and as delivery becomes faster and more convenient, the apps are changing the very essence of what it means to operate a restaurant. No longer must restaurateurs rent space for a dining room. All they need is a kitchen — or even just part of one.

Food delivery apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub are reshaping the $863 billion restaurant industry in the United States, according to The New York Times, as delivery-only "virtual restaurants" take off.

The New York Times reports that over 4,000 virtual restaurants and "ghost kitchens" have sprung up across the country since 2017.

9 Great Hospitality-Focused Architecture Job Opportunities That Are Awaiting Your Applications

2019-04-25T16:30:00-04:00

Are you an architect or designer looking for an job that focuses on hospitality projects? Whether it's high-end hotels, fine dining, or local restaurants/bars, the hospitality sector offers a wide variety of project types to create unique and memorable experiences for visitors. This week, we have gathered up some exciting hospitality-specific opportunities currently active on Archinect Jobs.

Greenwich Hospitality is hiring an Architect
Location: Stamford, CT
The ideal candidate is responsible for performing all phases of architectural work including planning, designing and overseeing new construction projects. This position also includes new building designs, extensions, alterations, restorations and conservation from the earliest stages right through to completion.

Reunion Goods & Services is hiring a Junior Architect
Location: Portland, ME
The ideal candidate will participate in a wide range of...