Winning Restaurants include Empire Diner & Casa La Femme in Manhattan; Kokomo & Peaches Kitchen and Bar in Brooklyn; Boogie Down Grind in the Bronx; Blend Astoria in Queens and Vinum in Staten Island
Coalition, including Design Trust for Public Space, Regional Plan Association and Tri-State Transportation Campaign, urges the City to establish long-term programs; will offer recommendations for rationalizing and equalizing outdoor dining spaces as the initiative becomes a permanent fixture of NYC life
Images of winning outdoor structures and open streets available here
NEW YORK, NY – The first-ever winners of the Alfresco Awards - prizes for exemplary outdoor dining structures, open streets, and collaborative efforts awarded by Alfresco NYC, have been announced.
Winners include restaurants and open streets from every borough, celebrating the creativity and diversity of structures, cuisines and communities across the city - and include Empire Diner and Casa La Femme in Manhattan; Kokomo and Peaches Kitchen and Bar in Brooklyn; Boogie Down Grind in The Bronx; Blend Astoria in Queens and Vinum in Staten Island, Alfresco NYC leadership announced today. In addition, winners for best open streets include 34th Avenue in Queens; Piazza di Belmont in The Bronx; TAMA Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn; and Stapleton Saturdays in Staten Island. Maiden Korea and Assembly for Chinatown, both in Manhattan, won for outstanding collaborations.
Led by Design Trust for Public Space, Regional Plan Association (RPA), and Tri-State Transportation Campaign, the Alfresco NYC coalition strongly supports permanent Open Restaurants and Open Streets Programs. The coalition is developing design guidelines for outdoor structures to ensure they are affordable and sustainable for small businesses hit hard by the pandemic, and fit within the city’s complex ecosystem of public space. The project is made possible by the New York Community Trust.
The inaugural Alfresco award winners, selected by a distinguished jury of journalists, restaurant and economic development professionals and mobility advocates, will receive $500 honorariums to acknowledge their exceptional design efforts during a trying time for the industry.
“Today is a celebration of outdoor dining and open streets - as well as an acknowledgement of how New Yorkers came together in one of our darkest hours to make our city more sustainable, equitable and accessible,” said Tom Wright, President of Regional Plan Association. “We congratulate all of the winners for prevailing in a stiff competition with establishments in every borough that brought creative and innovative designs to life. The winners all provide real guideposts for how outdoor dining and open streets can be implemented at their very best.”
“We saw dozens of nominations from every borough, demonstrating the boundless resilience and ingenuity of business owners and residents across this city,” said Kate Slevin, Executive Vice President Regional Plan Association. “New Yorkers made the best of an extraordinarily challenging moment socially and economically by transforming our streets and eateries into havens of joy and human connectivity. By making outdoor dining and open streets a permanent fixture, we can codify a vibrant New York City street life for years to come.”
“The Alfresco Awards were created to celebrate New York community groups and establishments that are revitalizing our neighborhoods, fostering community programs, and redefining open streets and open spaces during one of the toughest chapters of this city’s history. Over the past year, New Yorkers have shown what we can achieve when neighbors and communities come together, and when businesses adapt to a changing landscape through creativity, resiliency, empathy, and perseverance,” said Renae Reynolds, Executive Director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “The work continues to make outdoor dining and open streets a permanent fixture of the city, but these winners show us what a future with equitable and people-focused streetscapes looks like.”
“Never bet against New York and its small businesses. These exemplary projects demonstrate the resilience, creativity, and ingenuity of restaurants—keystones in the fabric of New York’s economy—and the critical role that public space plays in the city’s ongoing vitality and resilience,” said Matthew Clarke, Executive Director of the Design Trust for Public Space. “Together, the shared success of these initiatives coming from all five boroughs and from all types of businesses, paints a roadmap for the future of our streets and sidewalks.”
Winning Open Restaurants
NYC’s Open Restaurants Program comprises more than 11,000 restaurants, including nearly 6,000 that have set up shop along 60 miles of car-free streets. While Open Restaurants is popular with New Yorkers, it tends to be concentrated in wealthier neighborhoods. Alfresco NYC is celebrating small businesses and community efforts in all neighborhoods to support permanent programs.
The coalition recognized the following Open Restaurants based on factors such as creative visual style; the use of sustainable materials in dining structure design; and the establishment’s accessibility and integration within its neighborhood streetscape:
Boogie Down Grind (868 Hunts Point Ave, Bronx): Featuring a “Subway car” design, this South Bronx coffee shop hosts free community events to showcase local artists and represents a big effort in an area with few Open Restaurants.
Blend Astoria (37-17 30th Ave, Queens): This neighborhood Latin American staple creates a fully outdoor experience, with seamless design and color coordination that significantly enhances the vibe at the corner of 30th Avenue and 38th St.
Peaches Kitchen and Bar (393 Lewis Ave, Brooklyn): Black-owned Peaches uses reclaimed plastics made into building block bottles for a stylish and sustainable aesthetic. The next steps include sustainable power sources as well as air exchange.
Kokomo (65 Kent Ave, Brooklyn): Kokomo’s seventh iteration of its outdoor structure nails it -- transporting you to the Caribbean while providing improved wheelchair access, warm lighting, movable banquettes and variety of seating.
Vinum (704 Bay Street, Staten Island): In a borough with scarce Open Restaurants, classy Italian spot Vinum offers an elegant rustic wood exterior aesthetic to match the restaurant, that’s neatly aligned with the curb and the street’s slope.
Empire Diner (210 10th Ave, Manhattan): With an efficient seating arrangement with slim design, the outdoor dining area is accessible and takes up minimal space without feeling crowded.
Casa La Femme (140 Charles St, Manhattan): Distinguished by its maximalist design and decoration, the Egyptian cuisine eatery uses real plants and elements of its indoor dining style to create a relaxing and luxurious outdoor dining experience.
Winning Open Streets
In addition to identifying the top outdoor dining fixtures across the boroughs, the Alfresco Awards acknowledged exceptional Open Streets initiatives. Prizes were awarded to:
34th Avenue in Queens: Strong multigenerational programming, engagement, and organizing have turned the community from 69 to 94 St in Jackson Heights into its own, dynamic linear street park.
Piazza di Belmont in The Bronx: A collaborative effort between local businesses and the Belmont Business Improvement District, Arthur Ave, between 188th St & Crescent Ave, The Bronx, has become home to celebration of local culture and provides support to businesses outside Arthur Avenue as part of the community.
TAMA Sundays in Brooklyn: Putting community first, the Tompkins Avenue Merchants Association (TAMA) coordinates with small businesses and community members to enhance business and foot traffic on the Tompkins Avenue Open Street from Gates Avenue to Halsey Avenue.
Stapleton Saturdays in Staten Island: A wide range of programming and engagement with local businesses and institutions makes Stapleton Saturdays one of the more successful Open Streets initiatives to flourish during the pandemic.
Winning Collaborative Efforts
In addition to identifying the outdoor dining and open streets fixtures across the boroughs, the Alfresco awards acknowledged exceptional partnerships in service of broader open streets initiatives and public space, including
Assembly for Chinatown: A women-led collaboration between Think!Chinatown, A+A+A Studio, and Chaos Built, working with local artists and many volunteers to design, build, and paint beautiful outdoor spaces at no cost to Chinatown businesses in need.
Maiden Korea: A partnership of multiple upper story Korean businesses for shared seating, including activation of a vacant lot by 316 5th Ave.
The coalition also gave honorable mentions to a handful of restaurants and projects, including Chelsea Market; Neighborhood Curbside Canvas Project; Dine Out NYC; St. James Joy, and Kindred.
Distinguished Selection Committee
Winners were selected by a distinguished jury of journalists, restaurant and economic development professionals and mobility advocates, including:
Justin Davidson, Author
Blair Duncan, President & Chief Executive Officer, Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone
Danny Harris, Executive Director, Transportation Alternatives
Helen Ho, Co-Founder, Biking Public Project
Samara Karasyk, EVP, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and 5 Borough Lead, NYC Small Business Resource Network
Eman Rimawi, Access-A-Ride Campaign Coordinator and Organizer, NY Lawyers Public Interest
Andrew Rigie, Executive Director, NYC Hospitality Alliance
Janette Sadik-Khan, Bloomberg Associates, former NYCDOT Commissioner
Katie Schwab, Managing Director, Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies
Shabazz Stuart, CEO Oonee, StreetsPAC board member
Diana Tsui, Editorial Director, The Infatuation
Jonathan Waxman, Chef
Clare Weisz, FAIA, Principal-in-Charge, WXY
Michelle Young, Founder, Untapped Cities
“Outdoor dining helped save thousands of restaurants throughout the pandemic, was responsible for them hiring back 100,000 people, while allowing New Yorkers to socialize safely outdoors over a great meal after months of shut down orders. That’s why it’s so thrilling that the Alfresco Awards is now recognizing and honoring restaurants throughout the five boroughs that exemplified some of the most creative and sustainable outdoor dining setups that served and beautified our city streets. Congratulations to all the honorees and thank you for all you’ve done for New York City,” said Andrew Rigie, Executive Director of NYC Hospitality Alliance.
“The structures that restaurants erected virtually overnight during the pandemic were just the first draft of a new way to experience the city,” said Janette Sadik-Khan, Principal with Bloomberg Associates. “These winning designs turn the page, with attractive, functional and safe designs that provide a blueprint for restaurants everywhere to reclaim the curb not just during an emergency but every day.”
“As more and more businesses see the community in building outdoor dining structures, we are pleased that they are making sure they are accessible to those with disabilities who want to partake in a fun and inclusive function,” said Eman Rimawi, Access-A-Ride Coordinator and Organizer, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. “As someone who has a physical disability and also enjoys going out, this excites me for all of NYC.”
“New York City needs to reimagine streets for a people-focused future,” said Danny Harris, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “Over the past year, Open Streets and Open Restaurants have shown New Yorkers that the future is bright. More than simply a place to move and store cars, our streets must be a pathway to social equity, an engine for economic opportunity, and a vibrant space for community. This is our vision in NYC 25x25. By recognizing street life, Alfresco NYC also celebrates what’s possible in NYC, and demands more across our remaining 6,000 miles of streets and three million free parking spaces. We applaud all of the honorees for their achievements during this uniquely challenging year.”
Representatives from the winning restaurants and partnerships celebrated the milestone:
“Not too long ago, this was a demolition site whose hopes and dreams were also crushed by the pandemic,” said Edward Song of Maiden Korea. “Though our team was impacted - we lost all our restaurants - we mustered the courage to take on a bigger problem, the vibrancy of Koreatown, as a way to move forward. In doing so, we have helped local Koreatown restaurants even though we lost ours. To be honored today is validation that we, as New Yorkers, are making it together by working with each other. Our team is humbled by this award and would like to thank our landlord, Keith Powers, City Council Member of Koreatown’s District, Lisa Amoia, Manhattan Deputy Commissioner at NYC Department of Buildings, and Ed Pincar, Manhattan Borough Commissioner, New York City Department of Transportation, for making Maiden Korea a possibility.”
“This project was made possible by a #BeyGood grant from Beyoncé, so we thought it was important to spend it on something that brings community together,” said Majora Carter, Co-owner of the Boogie Down Grind Cafe. Everyone on the team who made this project come to life is proud to have honored her with this award, plus it’s hella fun!”
“We’re honored to receive this award and are thrilled that Piazza di Belmont has become a new and popular tradition with our community and visitors. Launched in July 2020 as a response to the shutdown of indoor dining in NYC, we implemented this first-ever piazza-style al fresco dining plan on Arthur Avenue to help support local businesses in Bronx Little Italy, many of which have been operating for over a century and survived the 1918 pandemic and Great Depression. Piazza di Belmont is now a mainstay on Arthur Avenue, and we’re excited to continue serving locals, New Yorkers and tourists alike on our culinary oasis,” said Peter Madonia, Belmont BID Chairman.
“The recognition for our Friendship Cabins is so appreciated. The thought and work put into making them comfortable and safe, plus designed with upcycled plastic bottles from Friendship Products, was our focus. For the Alfresco NYC Awards to reward us for our efforts shows it was well worth it. Thank You for this Award. We hope we can be a blueprint for how we can move forward with Outdoor Urban use of Sidewalk and Street for dining and public use,” said Ben Grossman, founding partner, B+C Restaurant Group, operator of Peaches Kitchen and Bar.
“We are honored to receive an Alfresco. It’s validation of our commitment to excellence and our continuously creating an amazing experience for our guests,” said Karen Valentine, owner of Kokomo.
“We’re thrilled to be recognized for the Al Fresco dining award! The pandemic was challenging in so many ways, but one of the hardest was how to make outdoor dining as joyful and comfortable as indoor. To have our peers acknowledge the effort and creativity to make it a thoughtful and sustainable space is a wonderful honor,” said Moshe Schulman, Managing Partner at Kindred.
“Doing some small thing for some people during greatly painful and challenging times is no small feat and an honorable endeavor,” said Bill Tsapalas, Managing Director of the Neighborhood Curbside Canvas Project.
“On behalf of Bridge Street Development Corporation and Tompkins Avenue Merchants Association (TAMA), we are grateful and honored to receive the first Alfresco NYC Award in recognition of our Open Streets initiative, coined TAMA Sundays, in Bedford Stuyvesant Brooklyn. Despite the many challenges our local businesses faced during COVID, the Open Streets initiative gave us the opportunity to increase foot traffic to our commercial corridor and to increase revenue for our merchants on Tompkins Avenue. However, our greatest success has been the positive energy and response from the community! We are proud that TAMA Sundays has become a positive VIBE as well as a DESTINATION in Brooklyn!” said Oma Holloway, Senior Program Director, Bridge Street Development Corporation.
“At Chelsea Market, our businesses are a community, and together are more than a collection of food services. When COVID shut down indoor spaces and closed the concourse, we wanted to make sure we were not just giving retailers a way to stay open, we wanted to replicate the market’s role as a community space, a citywide destination, and part of the fabric of the Chelsea Neighborhood,” said Bunny Laughlin on behalf of Chelsea Market. “We are so grateful to our partners at DOT and Meatpacking BID for supporting this open street and thankful to the Chelsea Market community for making it a success.”
“The dining outdoor program has completely revitalized NYC dining as we know it. What started out with such uncertainty for our industry and city only reaffirmed that we are New York strong, a testament to our resilience,” said Stacy Pisone, Managing Partner at Empire Diner. “We are gobsmacked by the recognition of the Al Fresco Award for ‘The Pavilion’ at Empire Diner. Through the longest city inside dining shutdown, snow storm after snow storm and constantly changing guidelines, we all maneuvered to continue creating unique and enjoyable dining experiences for our community. Now New Yorkers and tourists alike are exploding with excitement over just how much this “AL Fresco” experience has enhanced our city.”
“We are happy and excited to be recognized for this award,” said Andrea Chiney of A+A+A+ Studio, part of the Assembly for Chinatown effort. “Assembly for Chinatown was born out of careful listening and quick action; made possible by love, care and strength of people coming together. As a complement to top-down efforts around the city, our goal is to support the overlooked members in Chinatown by fostering a grassroots framework of designing for and with communities. We are thankful to the artists, business owners, volunteers and donors, for their time and constant support. We look forward to evolving the program as the city continues to develop and adapt to our new normals.”
“DineOut NYC, along with other amazing outdoor dining efforts around New York City, really taught us how we need to rethink the use of “public” space and better integrate interior and exterior spaces to allow restaurants – and communities – to function more holistically and realistically in this uncertain time,” said David Rockwell, founder and President, Rockwell Group. “We have to be adaptable and accommodate multiple uses with an emphasis on what makes a city urban: people.”
The project is generously supported by the New York Community Trust.
“It has been great to see people in places like the West Village enjoy the alfresco dining spaces put in place there over the past year,” said Arturo Garcia-Costas, Program Officer for the Environment at The New York Community Trust, “I think the storied urban activist Jane Jacobs would have been thrilled to see how New Yorkers’ ingenuity reinvented the street life of her beloved neighborhood, and has helped the city’s restaurants weather the pandemic.”
About Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Tri-State Transportation Campaign is a 28-year old advocacy organization that fights for an equitable, safe, multi-modal transportation network that provides options and supports the economies of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. TSTC works to fix our commutes, meet our climate goals, stop traffic deaths, and make transportation fair. Learn more at www.tstc.org.
About Design Trust for Public Space
Design Trust for Public Space is a nationally recognized incubator that catalyzes change and transforms New York City’s shared civic spaces to create a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable city. Its innovative model brings together government agencies, community groups, and private-sector experts to deliver creative solutions that shape the city’s landscape with an eye towards social justice and equity, environmental sustainability, design excellence, and public engagement. Learn more atwww.designtrust.org.
