NEW YORK —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
But a temporary discount-dining program, increased attention to costs and continued support from regular customers were helping many operators keep the lights on at their own venues. —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
The economic impact of the strike—which pitted stagehands against producers on several labor issues—has been significant, with area businesses tallying losses estimated at around $2 million a day, according to the League of American Theatres and Producers. —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
“We’re collateral fallout from this, and there’s nothing we can really do about it,” said Vincent Purdy, executive chef of Rene Pujol, a high-end French restaurant owned and operated by a cooperative of union-sanctioned employees. “The fear is we’re not going to survive this.” —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
Purdy noted that the restaurant’s reservations were down 50 percent at a time when bookings are usually at their highest and most profitable all year long. —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
“It’s definitely been a little weird,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it’s a ghost town, but it’s been pretty quiet. Things [have been] looking particularly grim.” —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
“This was the worst time of year for [the strike] to happen,” said Chuck Hunt, executive vice president of the New York City division of New York State’s Restaurant Association. “Obviously, the theater district [restaurants] feel [the impact] the most, but there is spillover into the rest of the city because a lot of people who come here and spend several days are not now. And the worst hurt are the employees of the restaurants whose shifts are being curtailed. You know: no customers, no tips.” —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
At renowned Sardi’s, the 82-year-old, 650-seat restaurant that is synonymous with Broadway, owner Max Klimavicius said business was down 30 percent to 40 percent from the same period a year ago. —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
“It’s certainly not good, especially since this is a busy time of year for all of us,” he said. “The timing could not have been worse. The whole theater district is hurting, from the corner hot-dog salesman to the parking garage [attendants].” —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
Klimavicius said he was being extremely cost-conscious in order to keep spending down. —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
“At this point we’re just trying to control costs,” he said. “We’re rearranging schedules, making sure labor doesn’t get out of hand.” —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
To help restaurateurs regain some sales traction, New York’s tourism agency, NYC & Company, in partnership with the Times Square Alliance and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s office, introduced a program that ran Nov. 17-25 offering a 15-percent discount on lunch or dinner to patrons at 25 participating restaurants. The offer, however, was not in effect on Thanksgiving Day. —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
“Certainly, in light of the strike, we wanted to do something, a promotion, as a way of helping support the neighborhood,” said Tiffany Townsend, NYC & Company’s director of communications. —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
About 43.8 million visitors came to New York in 2006 and spent $24.71 billion, according to the tourism agency. In addition, wages generated by city tourism averaged around $16 billion and total jobs supported by visitor spending numbered 368,179. —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
Longtime New York restaurateur Shelly Fireman, founder and chief executive of Fireman Hospitality Group, commended NYC & Company for its quick response in implementing the discount-dining program. Two of his restaurants, Bond 45 and Brooklyn Diner, both located in the theater district, participated in the program. —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
“Our lunch [business] has remained the same because we’re not dependent on the theater audience [for it], but obviously at dinner we’ve probably been off about 15 percent, which was exactly the percentage of the discount,” he said. “I will compliment NYC & Company. They deserve to be commended for jumping into the game immediately. [Because of the discount] we’ve gotten a lot of calls and inquiries and a lot of them turned into reservations. But there are a lot of people getting bumps—we’re not the only ones. I have compassion for all of them.” —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
Trattoria Trecolori, an 80-seat restaurant in the theater district, is getting by even though sales are down 15 percent to 20 percent from the same time last year, said manager Phil Gonzales. —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
“Business is not what it was, that’s for sure, but we’re not getting killed,” he said. “Theatergoers are a big part of our business—the main percentage—and we are taking a hit, but our regulars are coming out more often than they would, throwing us some support.” —The stagehand strike that darkened many of this city’s Broadway theaters starting Nov. 10 turned the Thanksgiving holiday week into a sales turkey for restaurateurs whose businesses are fueled by tourists and theater-goers who dine out before heading off to shows, neighborhood operators said.
