New York's restaurants weather the recession, providing opportunities and risk to workers

Jacob E. Osterhout New York Daily News 10/09/2011 14:32

Sixto A. Vargas, the butcher at Marea on Central Park South, cuts up a 50 lbs. halibut in the basement kitchen of the restaurant.

More than art, more than fashion, more than tall buildings and rat-infested subways, New York City is known for food. There are more than 23,500 restaurants in the five boroughs. And it's not just the number of food establishments that's mind boggling, but the variety as well. From hamburgers and pasta to Ethiopian and sushi — you want it, we got it. And while these tough economic times have certainly put a dent in restaurant profits, the industry has fared better than most. After all, people still have to eat.

"It's hard to say how the restaurant industry is doing," says Rekha Eanni-Rodriguez, co-director of the Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York, a restaurant workers advocacy group.

"On one hand, we hear from restaurant owners that this is a tough industry and the bad economy is only making it worse. On the other hand, restaurants continue to open and jobs continue to be created."

Consider this: From 2000 to 2008 the number of restaurants in New York City increased by 25%, according to the New York State Department of Labor.

Granted, this occurred before the current recession, but such growth is well above the national average, bolstered in no small part by the 49 million tourists who visit New York City each year.

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