Many believe that selecting the perfect restaurant location is everything. It could be the most critical decision when contemplating restaurant construction in New York, NY. The five boroughs of New York City, each with its own vibe, offer a wide range of opportunities for restaurant expansion or an up-and-coming restauranteur. The five boroughs include Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.
Most people think of Manhattan when they talk about New York City. With tourist attractions like Times Square, Central Park, The Empire State Building, and One World Trade Center, you can find any kind of restaurant you want. It is the most expensive, and for a new restaurant owner with limited capital, one of the other boroughs may be a better option.
The Bronx is a cheaper option than Manhattan and still has tourist attractions like The Bronx Zoo, Yankee Stadium, and Little Italy. With Fordham University and Manhattan College, plenty of hungry students are always looking for a place to eat. The Bronx offers a more affordable alternative for a beginner.
Brooklyn has recently become a popular spot for young millennials. But keep in mind that as Brooklyn grows in popularity, so will the cost of doing business there.
Queens is New York, NY's bedroom, housing nearly 2 million people. The borough is home to beautiful parks, lots of restaurants, an emerging nightlife, and is only a short subway ride to Manhattan. It's perfect for restaurants catering to young families and professionals.
Staten Island is a forgotten borough. Nevertheless, it is home to historical sites, museums, and New York, NY's Botanical Gardens. It is a less expensive restaurant location option compared to Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Regardless of which borough you choose, New York, NY is ideal for building a restaurant.
Since they are all tied together, you should decide on the location, type of venue, and type of service simultaneously.
Types of Venues constructed include:
Bar/Pub/Brewery (Food Served)
Bar/Pub/Brewery (No Food)
Concession Stand – Other
Diner
Employee Dining Room
Fast Food Restaurant – Food Court
Fast Food Restaurant – Stand Alone
Health Club/Gym/Spa
Restaurant (No Bar)
Restaurant (With Bar)
Wine Bar
School Cafeteria
Service Types include:
• Buffet
• Buffet with Counter Service
• Buffet with Wait Service
• Cafeteria Style
• Caterer (No on-site Service, Food Prep Only)
• Counter Service
• Eat-In Only
• Takeout Only
• Takeout – Limited Eat-In
• Wait Service
• Wait Service & Counter Service
Restaurant Construction New York, NY – Change in Design
While it seems that restaurant construction in NYC is trending upward, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced several construction design changes.
NYC restaurants are typically built in long narrow spaces because they take up the base of a tenement building. As a result, they tend to be 20 – 25 feet wide and 60 – 80 feet long. However, many obstacles like staircases, elevators, service stores and hallways reduce the width to as narrow as 15 feet.
Pre-Covid, contractors built restaurants that had 40-person seating, and the goal of the construction and design was to make the place look full, inviting, and like a space that a person wanted to dine in.
But now, as a result of COVID-19, contractors are rethinking their plans for constructing new eateries. Limited seating, social distancing along with The Open Restaurants, and Open Streets programs have moved patrons away from a restaurant packed with people on the inside to a separate, safer outdoor dining experience.
New outdoor structures need to protect guests from the elements and be built to handle inclement weather. Sidewalks will house a contained space with roofs, walls, and transparent vinyl sheets constructed carefully to maintain a safe environment. For example, construction on the street or sidewalk must have walls and ceilings with at least 50% of the structure open to the outside air.
As a result, restaurant construction New York, NY contractors are building sidewalk and street structures with four goals in mind.
Provide guests with a pleasant outdoor dining experience similar to pre-Covid.
Make it year-round dining
Construct a space where people feel comfortable dining during both the mid-summer or mid-winter months.
Allow restaurateurs to maintain their business's viability as they get through to the end of this crisis.
Following European models, the New York, NY restaurant construction initiative has been remarkably successful and received well by residents. The changes to restaurant construction may help NYC become greener, reshaping how the city, its residents, and its tourists interact.
