ROAR FAQ
Roar FAQ
What is ROAR?
ROAR (Restaurants Organizing Advocating Rebuilding) is a community of restaurant owners and industry veterans with a mission to advocate for small restaurant businesses devastated by the effects of COVID-19, support restaurant workers suffering financial hardship, and help create a path to a sustainable future for the hospitality industry in New York.
What has ROAR accomplished during COVID?
CASH ASSISTANCE GRANTS
ROAR distributed $3 million in direct cash relief to 6500 restaurant workers.
STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY
ROAR secured the extension of off-premise wine and beer and liquor licenses to keep restaurants afloat, including a bill which would extend the off-premise sale of liquor, beer and wine for restaurants two years beyond the end of New York’s state of emergency.
OUTDOOR DINING
ROAR successfully secured outdoor dining to be part of Phase 2 reopening. ROAR is continuing to work to extend outdoor dining.
VACCINE BUS
In partnership with the City of New York, ROAR launched the first ever mobile Vaccine Bus for all restaurant workers
HEALTH AND SAFETY
ROAR has been at the forefront of health and safety for workers, ensuring access to rapid testing, and adequate, affordable PPE for all restaurant employees.
PERSONAL LIABILITY
ROAR worked to ensure the passage of Intro. 1932 to temporarily prohibit the enforcement of personal liability provisions in commercial leases or rental agreements involving a COVID-19 impacted tenant
What kind of advocacy is ROAR doing going forward?
We are working on restructuring and reforming the way that restaurants operate in NYC. With Kasirer, the leading lobbying firm in New York state, we are focused on securing transformative wage reform, administrative relief, and tax cuts and incentives for independent restaurants to ensure the path to a sustainable future for our industry.
With the pandemic waning, ROAR is now in the process of creating a 501(c)(3) to fund a holistic suite of Health and Wellness Services to support New York City’s community of restaurant workers. The vision is to offer deeply discounted (or free) health care, mental health care, financial planning services, and much more.
DONATE now to support ROAR and all of its programming!