Harlem Restaurant Week Kicks Off In Uncertain Times
HARLEM, NY — Lyn-Genet Recitas is unsure whether any promotion or special event will be enough to save her Hamilton Heights restaurant from the economic calamity inflicted by the coronavirus crisis.
But that won't stop her from trying. Recitas's restaurant, Lyn-Genet Kitchen, is one of more than 50 eateries participating in this year's Harlem Restaurant Week, set to kick off Monday and run through Oct. 31.
"Hopefully it does bring some new people in," Recitas told Patch. "But everybody’s going to have to think outside the box if they want to stay open through the winter."
Such is the uncertain climate surrounding this year's event, being held for the 11th consecutive year. In past years, Harlem Restaurant Week has been a jubilant occasion, giving the neighborhood the chance to celebrate a restaurant scene that has exploded over the past decade.
Organizers from the nonprofit Harlem Park to Park hope to recreate that atmosphere, describing this year's event as a celebration of the restaurants that managed to survive through this spring's mandatory lockdowns.
"Harlem was definitely set back with COVID," Park to Park Executive Director Nikoa Evans-Hendricks said in a statement. "We saw some permanent closures, like everywhere else, but we have also seen a level of ingenuity and resiliency emerge from our businesses that have been inspiring and trendsetting."
"If people show up, we're going to be ready"
Like many restaurateurs, Recitas has pivoted her business model to retail in an effort to stay afloat, offering prepackaged to-go meal kits at a cheaper price than a normal dine-in or takeout order.
"If the economy keeps tanking and people keep losing their jobs I think the prevalence of takeout orders might decrease," Recitas said.
Related: Pandemic Closes 2 More Harlem Coffee Shops: 'Feels Like Tragedy'
Chef Elhadji Cisse, owner of the restaurants Renaissance Harlem and Ponty Bistro, is trying a similar approach, selling bottles of his restaurants' popular sauces in hopes of enticing customers.
"We don’t know what COVID will bring but we’re going to get ready anyway," said Cisse, whose two restaurants are both participating. "If people show up, we’re going to be ready."
Restaurant Week promotions include $10 full-meal deals and many more special offers at specific restaurants.
Organizers are also paying tribute to Harlem's chefs and community leaders who have stepped up to feed the vulnerable during the pandemic, including FIELDTRIP owner JJ Johnson and Harlem Grown founder Tony Hillery, who teamed up to deliver meals to neighborhood shelters.
The dozens of restaurants participating include mainstays like Red Rooster and also relative newcomers like Mountain Bird, a French Bistro in East Harlem, and the Indian spot Chai Wali.
Organizers boast that Harlem's sprawling sidewalks, among the widest in the city, make for a safe outdoor dining experience.
More information about the event and participating restaurants is available at Harlemrestaurantweek.com.
This article originally appeared on the Harlem Patch
