Earlier this month, Williamsburg bar owners were up in arms over a new Community Board restriction that would require all new liquor license applicants seeking CB approval to have a full kitchen if they want an outdoor space. It's a move basically designed to ruin backyard bars and get more "civilized" restaurants in the neighborhood, and bar owners are none too pleased with the rule.
“This policy will have consequences on the greatest economic engine in the neighborhood, and on subsidiary businesses that depend on restaurant traffic,” said Teddy’s Bar and Grill owner Felice Kirby, who is organizing the Brooklyn Allied Bars and Restaurants group with nearby bar owners. Matt Webber, the owner of the bar Soft Spot, said that the Board's new policy "overwhelmingly favors wealthy restaurateurs who can afford to open in Williamsburg," and isn't fair to smaller businesses like his who can't afford to add a kitchen.
One solution may lie with a loophole that allows backyard bars to operate without a full kitchen if the food is prepared on site and served outdoors, a la Union Pool's taco truck. Hey, Williamsburg bar owners—we hear there's a whole bunch of displaced food trucks looking for new homes these days.
