October 2024

As we head into this Fall season, we’re excited to share the news about our newly-appointed Commissioner Dynishal Gross – a smart, determined, and humble SBS veteran who supports the work we do with NYC food and beverage businesses! Learn more about Commissioner Gross in our Spotlight section below.

Speaking of supporting F&B businesses, be sure to take a look through our new NYC Restaurant Playbook for Hiring, Onboarding, and Training. This playbook provides strategies and tools that any foodservice business operator can use to create a more supportive and productive experience for your new hires resulting in higher retention rates.

The playbook is just the beginning of a number of new resources we’re working on. We look forward to announcing new programs and resources scheduled for early 2025. Keep your eye on upcoming newsletters for more info!

Wishing you all a smooth, profitable October!

Steven Picker & Rosanne Martino

The NYC Food and Beverage Industry Partnership Team at SBS

We Want to Hear From You

Did you have a roadway setup during the temporary outdoor dining program?

Spotlight Interview

Dynishal Gross, Commissioner 

NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS)

Commissioner Gross, congratulations on your recent appointment as Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. This newsletter is sent out to over 30K F&B business owners and operators. What would you like our readers to know about you?

I grew up in a part of Maryland where food was farmed, fished, or foraged, resulting in dishes like oyster cakes, pan-fried perch roe, and wild blackberry jam on hot biscuits. Since becoming a New Yorker nearly 30 years ago, restaurants and friendships have helped me discover fine dining and food cultures from around the world.

Fun fact: Before I began working with our F&BIP Executive Director Steven Picker, I was a loyal customer of Good, his former West Village restaurant. I always enjoyed the lemon ricotta pancakes and strong coffee with friends in that bustling dining room. I’m so grateful that SBS & all of the readers of this newsletter have the benefit of his expertise.

What can the F&B industry expect from SBS under your leadership?

Expect us to be responsive, adapting our work to meet the challenges and opportunities you face.

SBS is here to help you weigh your outdoor dining options and prepare for the 2025 season. We’ll also be rolling out new tools to help restaurants reduce staff turnover and nurture existing employees through English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) instruction. Stay tuned!

Stay Up To Date

Reminder: The Dining Out NYC online application portal is open 24/7!

New Federal Reporting Requirement – the Corporate Transparency Act, enacted to curb illicit finance, requires many companies doing business in the United States to report information about the individuals who ultimately own or control them.

Filing is free of charge. Existing companies created before January 1, 2024, must file by January 1, 2025.

Companies created or registered after January 1, 2024, have 90 calendar days to file after receiving notice that their company’s creation is effective.

Federal Court Overturns U.S. Department of Labor’s 80/20/30 Rule

The DOL’s 2021 Final Rule regarding tipped employees and the minimum wage, commonly known as the “80/20/30 Rule”, was vacated as of August 23, 2024. 

Please note that NYC employers must still comply with New York State’s 80/20 rule as explained in the NYS Hospitality Industry Wage Order.

The invalidation of the 80/20/30 Rule means that New York employers can have employees perform non-tip producing work for more than 30 consecutive minutes.

In order to validly take a tip credit, among other things, NY employers must ensure that tipped employees do not spend more than 20% of their time nor more than two hours in one day engaged in non-tip producing work.

NYC Restaurant Hiring, Onboarding, and Training Playbook

This playbook provides strategies and tools that any restaurant (or other food service business) operator can use to create a more supportive and productive experience for your new hires resulting in higher retention rates.

It incorporates key learnings from onboarding and training of entry-level cooks through our First Course NYC training program and decades of combined program team experience in NYC restaurants.

Resources

Need financing for your small business? Use NYC Funds Finder to access loan and grant resources – for FREE!

The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) has partnered with Next Street to make affordable financing more accessible to all NYC entrepreneurs, including women and minority-owned businesses.

Check out NYC Funds Finder, NYC's first-ever online funding marketplace for small businesses, to get:

• Custom lists of loan and grant opportunities for your business through our Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) partners and other responsible lenders
• Free one-on-one financial counseling
• Help with documentation preparation

The SBS hotline answers small business owners' most pressing questions and connects you to the NYC Business Express Service Team (NYC BEST) to help you get licenses & permits faster, avoid or reduce fines, and prepare you for inspections. Reach the hotline at 888-SBS-4NYC (888-727-4692). Services are available in multiple languages.

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