De Blasio Throws Support Behind Bill Lifting Cap on Street Vendor Permits

NYC mayor says that he will support proposed street vendor bill

Mayor Bill de Blasio has voiced his support for proposed legislation that would add 4,000 street vendor permits to the city’s system over the next 10 years, according to the New York Post. “This is something I’ve wanted to see for a long time,” de Blasio said, indicating that he would sign the bill into law if the City Council passes the measure.

The City Council is expected to vote on the bill — a long-contested piece of legislation that would lift the cap on street vendor permits for the first time in decades — on Thursday, January 28. Proponents of the bill, including the nonprofit Street Vendor Project, have argued that lifting the cap on permits will combat the black market, where permits are sold for egregious markups because of the limits. There are currently 3,000 street vendor permits in circulation, according to The City.

Many restaurants, neighborhood business groups, and the New York City Hospitality Alliance have voiced opposition to the bill in its current form, claiming in part that adding street vendor permits would drive customers away from restaurants. Some restaurateurs, however, see the situation differently. “We work hand-in-hand feeding the people of New York,” David Oropeza, the co-owner of Bolivian Llama Party in Sunnyside, said in a recent video publicizing support for the bill. “We’re not in competition with one another. We support each other.”

The bill currently has garnered support from 30 members of the City Council, including Speaker Corey Johnson.

In other news

— Waroeng’s fourth pop-up at the Market Line on the Lower East Side on January 30 will highlight an array of regional Mexican food in partnership with Tortilleria Nixtamal. The four-course menu includes a mole poblano made using an original 16th century recipe sourced from nuns at the Santa Rosa convent in Puebla, Mexico. Each ticket is $79 and includes a meal for two available for pickup at the Market Line or delivery in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan.

— L.A. restaurateur Michael Della Femina plans to open a 24-hour diner in NYC, potentially in the West Village, according to Page Six.

— Some NYC restaurants are pleading with Gov. Andrew Cuomo to lift the 10 p.m. outdoor dining curfew in the city so businesses can host full-length Super Bowl parties on February 7, arguing that the move is safer than the unregulated home parties that will likely crop up on the day.

— Inside a growing debate over the pros and cons of Open Streets that is taking over Greenpoint.

— Critically-acclaimed fast casual newcomer Milu is offering a special Lunar New Year menu with items like a whole salt-baked black bass and duck fat-roasted cabbage with duck skin and a shallot crumble. The menu is $118 for two and $218 for four, and can be pre-ordered for pickup at the restaurant on February 11 or 12. Ordering opens later this week and closes on February 7, according to a restaurant spokesperson.

— King David Tacos is adding a nacho kit to its menu for a limited time. The $40 kit includes the restaurant’s queso, chips, chorizo or chili con carne, pickled jalapeños, sour cream, and salsa verde. The kit feeds two to four people.

— Stocking up ASAP: