Hacker News Reader

Comment by staticassertion | Hacker News Reader

Townsend just closed, and I'm pretty upset about it. 40 years. The waiter was there for nearly 20 - an amazing guy. They had no intent to close, I used to see the owners bringing food to people, they'd talk to me, clearly loved their jobs.

Just so sad to see it go. Restaurants make a city. They're critical to its culture and the lifestyle of those who live there.

I don't know that this is the right or wrong decision, but it's just awful that this is happening, and we need to acknowledge how fucking terribly this has been handled.

View on HN

I headed to Townsend the other morning to grab breakfast and was surprised to see the sign. That's the fourth(!) "spot" that I used to visit regularly that has now permanently closed in my area.

Does anyone know where the state/city legislature is hosted online? I'm genuinely curious on what the laws are that give officials authority to close businesses like they have over the past 9 months.

Wouldn't a 40-years old restaurant have no debt to pay and a good treasury? I would assume they paid back any debt by then, and could survive for a long time without doing business

Maybe if the restaurant owned the building but otherwise the rent alone could chew through the profit of a restaurant or bar pretty fast. It is difficult to buy the building of a successful restaurant unless you had a right of first refusal or buyout option in the initial lease. Landlords are reluctant to sell you the building for anything reasonable if they feel you are successful as their money is fairly safe and inflation adjusted. I run two bars. One of them is five years old and very successful. I would say right now it has about eight months of rent payments until it would be a problem.

It’s been 9 months... they still have to pay rent and equipment costs and staff

“I don't know that this is the right or wrong decision, but it's just awful that this is happening, and we need to acknowledge how fucking terribly this has been handled.”

I don’t understand how you can draw the conclusion. There are many reasons you might take the opportunity to bow out of a business after 40 years. Let alone in the restaurant industry. Was their lease up? Sad, true. But, smoking gun? You don’t know the restaurant industry.

Don't be obtuse, it's quite obvious why a restaurant would close right now. You're really grasping at straws if you're trying to say that they've closed for any other reason.

I mean I literally talked to them about it.

haha! Unless you’re their lawyer, accountant, investor or spouse then you’re public. And there’s a difference between what is the truth and what you tell the world in hospitality, and you _literally_ do it every business day.

COVID is the situation and restaurants are among the industries hit the hardest by airborne disease spread indoors. Sheesh. Maybe I'm reading too much into a flip cursing comment suggesting there's _a person_, or _agency_ who deserves blame. I think it's more likely doubt and anxiety underlying that comment. Anxiety about _our own_ uncertain future, and grief in dealing with loss. And for that you have my sympathies. We are all touched by this disease.

What incentive would they have to lie, given they're losing their business? Besides, I've known them for years.

I'm not sure what you mean with regards to a person or agency. There are multiple people and agencies that failed drastically here.

Here is an article about how COVID has devastated businesses in NYC https://www.curbed.com/article/nyc-businesses-closed-2020-pa... Just reality. Peace.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com