Hell's Kitchen Hospitality Coalition
Keep Hell's Kitchen's independents open
eatdrinkhellskitchen.com
1,928
fewer eating and drinking places in New York State
Q1 2026 vs. a year earlier. Bloomberg reported it as the biggest net year-over-year decline in at least 36 years of BLS data, steeper than any quarter of the 2020 pandemic.
4
straight quarters of decline
Year-over-year drops from Q2 2025 through Q1 2026, the longest streak since 2021.
1,102
of those were in New York City
More than half the state's net loss: 24,383 places in Q1 2025, 23,281 in Q1 2026. Manhattan alone: 204 fewer.
Costs: health insurance +12.9%, utilities +8.5%, business insurance +7% for New York-region service businesses last year. Developers get tax incentives and tenants get rent stabilization. Independent restaurants and bars get nothing comparable.
Lead priorities
- Commercial lease renewal rights. Pass the Small Business Jobs Survival Act: a right to renew, and fair terms at renewal, so a decade of work can't vanish with one landlord letter.
- Pooled health insurance. A city or state-backed pool so a 15-person restaurant can buy coverage at the rates a large employer gets.
- A warning before first-time fines. A cure period for first-time, non-hazardous violations instead of an automatic fine.
Parity
- Commercial lease renewal rights
- Tax breaks for fair landlords
Costs
- Pooled health insurance
- Utility rate relief
- Raise the Commercial Rent Tax threshold
- Liability insurance review
Capital
- Low-interest loans and grants
Operations
- A warning before first-time fines
- Consolidated inspections
- Faster permits and liquor licenses
- Cheaper multi-year outdoor dining licenses
Customers
- Hell's Kitchen dining marketing
- Construction-impact grants
- Sanitation and street safety
Influence
- Funding for a formal association
- A staff liaison in each office
- Quarterly roundtables