NYC Hospitality Alliance Executive Director Andrew Rigie joined Speaker Julie Menin, Council Member Susan Zhuang, elected officials, and small business advocates at Alliance Board Member Annie Shi’s Lei Wine in Manhattan’s Chinatown in support of Int. 0955-2026, legislation to help new businesses open faster by coordinating required inspections and plan reviews across City agencies.
Restaurants, bars, and nightlife venues currently face a fragmented process involving multiple agencies, permits, inspections, and approvals. In a recent Alliance survey, 95% of hospitality operators reported experiencing permitting, licensing, or inspection delays, with many waiting six months or longer while continuing to pay rent, insurance, utilities, and other expenses without generating revenue.
This commonsense legislation would create a framework for better coordination, reduce unnecessary delays, and help businesses open their doors and begin hiring sooner. We thank Speaker Menin, Council Member Zhuang, and their colleagues for advancing this important reform and urge the full Council to pass it later this week.
We are hopeful the bill will be enacted into law. Once it is, the Alliance is prepared to work closely with the Administration and relevant City agencies to ensure the framework creates an effective new system that coordinates inspections, streamlines permitting and licensing, provides businesses with clearer and more consistent guidance, and broadly supports eating and drinking establishments across the city.
As always, we will keep you updated.
