Local Restaurants and BBQ Joints Need You Now More Than Ever
Giant food events and all large gatherings of 500 or more are canceled for the next month.
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The past week has seen an escalation of increasingly dire news. Seemingly everything has been canceled, the stock market has gone crazy, and reality has set in about the dramatic impact coronavirus could have on the U.S. After weeks of moderate concerns about COVID-19 in New York, panic has finally hit our local communities and both state and city governments are taking strict actions to keep the public safe.
These actions include New York State banning large gatherings of more than 500 people, which includes parades, rallies, sporting events, conferences, concerts, Broadway shows, and more. This means large-scale food events will need to either be pared down, postponed, or canceled. On the city level, the Mayor has ordered all restaurants and bars to reduce capacity by 50 percent. (Effectively meaning if your restaurant seats 100, you can only seat 50.)
These measures make sense to help slow the spread of coronavirus and keep our most vulnerable citizens (the elderly and those with health conditions) from catching it. However, in the midst of this crisis, it can be easy to forget that a lot of your fellow New Yorkers are hurting and have a lot of pain yet to come. New York’s restaurants and their staff are in shock and they are seeing way fewer patrons as people retreat and shelter at home. Some restaurants and event spaces are reporting as much as a 70 percent drop in revenue.
Juicy Lucy BBQ on Staten Island is moving to a delivery-and-takeout-only model and closing its dining room.
Now would be an exceptionally good time to visit your favorite local barbecue joint or restaurant if you want them to survive this. If you don’t feel comfortable eating out at any restaurant, then order takeout or delivery in order to give them business that way. Juicy Lucy BBQ on Staten Island has actually taken the extraordinary step of closing their dining room altogether to shift to only takeout and delivery, and I would not be surprised if more restaurants do the same.
Another way to support your local barbecue joints is to buy gift cards now that can be used after this crisis ends. This ensures the restaurants have more cash on hand to get through this crazy time.
Buying gift cards from your favorite local BBQ joints can help them survive this crisis.
Another area that will see impacts over the next month (at least) will be BBQ and food events. One of the largest BBQ events nationally, Hogs for the Cause in New Orleans, was canceled this week and likely more U.S. events this month will be canceled. As of now, anticipated NYC BBQ events such as the Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit on April 18 and Brisket King NYC on April 22 are both still happening. However, organizers for both events have told me they are watching updates closely and may postpone the events if things don’t improve by early April.
I sincerely hope this crisis is not a long one and that we are able to go back to “real life” in a month or two. But in the meantime, don’t forget to support your local restaurants and bars that may not make it without your help.
Sean Ludwig
Founder, NYC BBQ
EAT ALL ABOUT IT
Here are the top BBQ and related food news stories you need to know about this week:
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que founder John Stage cooks up a mean brisket and he cares about his employees too.
New York-based barbecue chain Dinosaur Bar-B-Que has implemented a new sick leave benefit for employees among other changes in response to the coronavirus pandemic, reports Syracuse.com. New policies include sick employees being required to stay home and employees receiving financial assistance if they need to miss work.
If you’re living upstate or visiting Buffalo this year, be sure to check out New York Upstate’s list of best barbecue joints in Buffalo. The list includes Brickyard Pub & BBQ, Freddy J’s BBQ, Master’s Barbeque Company, and more.
A list of the most anticipated spring openings in the Philadelphia area includes new barbecue joints including Zigzag BBQ and The Lucky Well.
Some app-based food delivery services are offering non-contact dropoff options amid coronavirus concerns, reports Today.com.
IRL BBQ
The 2020 NYC Beer and Bacon Classic is still scheduled for early April in Brooklyn but that could change.
Here are the top BBQ and related food events coming soon to the New York metro area:
NOTE: GIVEN THE CURRENT CORONAVIRUS SITUATION, SOME OF THESE EVENTS MAY BE CANCELED OR POSTPONED, SO PLEASE CHECK CLOSELY BEFORE BUYING TICKETS OR SHOWING UP.
Saturday, April 11, 2020: Don't miss the 2020 NYC Bacon and Beer Classic in April. The event, at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint, will turn into a foodie paradise filled with decadent bacon dishes, free-flowing craft beer, and games. Cheer on NYC's fiercest foodies as they go head to head in the Hormel Black Label Bacon Eating Contest, challenge your friends in cornhole, ride a bacon seesaw, and more. Buy tickets here.
Saturday, April 18, 2020: Mark your calendars for the Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit 2020 at Pig Beach. Following the successful 2019 version of the event, this will feature many of the top pitmasters from around the country at Pig Beach in Brooklyn. Read about the 2019 edition of the Jeff Michner BBQ benefit here and tickets for 2020 can be purchased here.
April 18 - 19, 2020: The 8th Annual Hot Sauce Expo NYC will be back for two days in 2020. The event will be held at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint and features tons of hot sauce samples, barbecue and beer to purchase, fun on-stage events, and more. Buy tickets here.
Wednesday, April 22, 2020: If you love brisket, you won’t want to miss Brisket King NYC 2020 in April. More than 15 chefs and pitmasters will be there serving up their best takes on brisket, pastrami, and more. Early bird ticket sales are available now, so get them before prices go up! Read about the last edition of Brisket King to get a better sense of the event. Buy tickets here.
April 25 - 26, 2020: If you are near Farmingdale, New Jersey, you won’t want to miss out on the 5th Annual Allaire BBQ and Beer Fest, which will feature two days of hops and hogs. The event will feature BBQ, a beer/wine garden, food trucks, crafts, and children’s activities. Buy tickets here.
Saturday, May 2, 2020: Love wings and beer and are willing to travel to Queens? Then make sure you grab a ticket to The Forest Hills Wing Fest, which will be held at the Forest Hills Biergarten at Cobblestones Pub. Lots of NYC's top wing joints will be serving their finest and drinks will be flowing too. Buy tickets here.
Looking for more events? Check out the full NYC BBQ calendar here.
SAY HELLO
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