AJ Bontempo opened up Ainslie just five-and-a-half months before the city shut down last March. 

Since then, he says the sprawling Italian eatery and beer garden has gone largely unused indoors and business has dropped by 75%.


What You Need To Know

  • Governor Cuomo is expected to announce a plan for city restaurants by the end of the week

  • Restaurant owners are hoping he will throw their industry a lifeline and grant some indoor dining

  • Ainslie, which was built in a former Williamsburg warehouse, opened just five-and-a-half months before the city shut down

“We’ve only had 42 days of indoor dining since March. At the end of the day we want what’s good for New York. We want the virus to get under control, but I think it’s time for us to be allowed at least 25% indoors,” said Bontempo, who is the co-owner. 

Bontempo is hoping Governor Andrew Cuomo will throw his industry a lifeline when he unveils his plan for city restaurants later this week.

He’s made do with outdoor seating for now, but with more than 300 indoor seats and multiple floors, even limited capacity would go a long way. A later curfew would help, too.

“With the younger crowd, when you wrap it up at 10 o’clock, they’re not going home at 10 o’clock. You’re forcing them to take the party somewhere else and they’re going to be going into peoples apartments where the infection rate is running higher,” said Bontempo. 

The Williamsburg eatery is one of four restaurants Bontempo runs in the city. He says the lack of communication from government leaders has been frustrating. 

Bontempo added that he had to lay off everyone at Ainslie at the start of the pandemic, and was able to bring back about half of them as business picked up again.

“The trickle-down effect, it’s not just the businesses itself, the owners. It’s the staff, it’s our employees’ families, it’s the unknown is really hard to plan. It’s hard for our staff to know what tomorrow even brings,” he said. 

Bontempo says he’s thankful loyal customers have continued to support them, even if it means sitting in the cold. 

Ainslie is also taking part in restaurant week, which is currently underway.