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AGENCY TESTIMONY
Application process, approvals, and current participation statistics
1:33:33
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95 sec
Forgione details the application process for Dining Out NYC, including outreach efforts, approval rates, and strategies to help restaurants participate. She provides statistics on applications received and emphasizes the DOT's efforts to assist applicants in achieving approval.
- Mentions extensive outreach efforts, including webinars and multi-language communications
- Reports nearly 3,900 applications from over 3,200 restaurants
- Explains the use of conditional approvals to expedite the process
- Highlights that the majority of applicants for roadway cafes by the August 3 deadline were approved to operate
Margaret Forgione
1:33:33
DOT conducted extensive outreach, including 44 webinar presentations with question and answer sessions for restaurants, repeated email communications to every business with a food service establishment permit, and over 15,000 palm cards distributed in person.
1:33:50
We also did extensive engagement with the news media and via social media to raise awareness about the program.
1:33:56
DOT has received nearly 3,900 applications from over 3,200 restaurants, and our goal is to help all of these restaurants participate in the program.
1:34:06
When an application is incomplete or includes errors, our staff doesn't just reject the application.
1:34:13
We work with applicants to help them achieve approval.
1:34:16
Our application is also available in 12 languages, a concern that we heard raised today.
1:34:22
To expedite the lengthy application process required by local law one twenty one and other requirements of the city charter and to allow as many restaurants to be up and running by April 1 as possible, DOT issued conditional approvals to restaurants applying to operate a roadway cafe that had already gone through the DOT review, community board review, and had a public hearing.
1:34:44
Thanks to this effort, the vast majority of restaurants that applied for a roadway cafe by August 3 deadline were approved to operate.
1:34:53
In addition, all restaurants that applied for a sidewalk cafe prior to the August 3 deadline have been allowed to operate.
1:35:00
We are thrilled that outdoor dining is now a permanent part of the city's streetscape, and we want to work with the council to make this program as successful as possible.