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There’s no way to dance around the reality—the industries we know and love as travelers and citizens are in for hard times. The effects of social distancing to help slow the spread of the coronavirus are throwing businesses all over New York into a state of uncertainty, with small businesses in particular danger of not being able to reopen at all. Across the five boroughs though, they’re fiercely adapting their models to the new world we’ve found ourselves in at this time. Fancy restaurants are turning to takeout, cocktail bars are delivering drinks to doorsteps, and stores are moving their merch to Instagram.
While options like these are necessarily more limited, they are providing, at least a temporary way, for these businesses to continue to serve the public and for the public to continue patronizing the shops. Local operations are awaiting aid from the government, but here are a few ways you can help support the small businesses in New York City right now.
Iconic NYC restaurants offering local delivery
Roberta’s
If you’re not hip to the Brooklyn-DIY lifestyle yet, now’s the perfect time to channel your inner Alison Roman. Famed pizzeria Roberta's , an institution known for wait times of upwards of two hours, is bringing kits of dough, sauce, cheese, and toppings to you. Locals can pick them up or have them delivered via Postmates, Caviar, Grubhub, Doordash, and Chownow. Each one makes two pizzas, and include options Margherita ($15) and the Famous Original with three kinds of cheese ($16). The Bushwick location is also offering bread, baked goods, and frozen pizza for takeout and the shop also ships frozen pizzas nationwide in packs of two, four, six, and eight.
Russ & Daughters
This century-old family-run appetizing shop churns out some of the city’s best lox and bagels. You may not be able to make it to the store on Houston Street right now (they're closed to walk-ins), but Russ & Daughters Cafecan deliver to locals via Caviar. Crispy, fried potato latkes topped with plump, orange Alaskan salmon roe delivered to your door is a treat, and it goes without saying that if you order, add the assorted dozen bagels to the cart before anything else. They ship nationwide, too.
Magnolia Bakery
Its appearances on Sex in the City and the Devil Wears Prada, Magnolia Bakery spurred the country’s cupcake obsession of the aughts. And the original shop on Bleecker Street in the West Village is as quaint and mini as their signature sweets, but you can get those fluffy, frosted treats delivered locally via Uber Eats or shipped nationwide. Banana pudding stuffed with vanilla wafers also qualifies.
Specialty items worth shipping
Partners Coffee
No need to drink sub-par coffee just because you’re self isolating. Partners offers some of the best small-batch roasted whole bean coffee in the city, sourced from all the best coffee growing regions around the world. Their locations are closed temporarily, but you can ship their coffee beans to your home (free shipping on orders more than $35). Also consider donating to their front-of-house staff’s virtual Venmo tip jar @partnerscoffee to help employees laid off during the lockdown. Birch coffee, another local favorite, has suspended operations but will ship a “quarantine survival kit” equipped with a bag of whole beans, a box of Oatly oat milk, and a roll of TP.
MáLà Project
East Village Chinese spot MáLà Project is selling quarantine pantry kits that can be shipped nationwide. These $12 most-in-one meals come jarred in several varieties, and can be used on top of noodles, eggs, or something as simple as toast. Choose from the Soy Pork Sauce (pork tenderloin, oyster mushroom, five spice tofu, Soy bean, flour, oyster sauce), Five Spice Tofu (five spice tofu, oyster mushroom, soy bean, flour, oyster sauce), Spicy Beef Sauce (beef shiitake mushroom, bird's eye chili, fermented bean sauce, bay leaf, star anise, sichuan peppercorn, peanuts, sesame), and Spicy Mushroom (Shiitake mushroom, bird's eye chili, fermented bean sauce, bay leaf, star anise, sichuan peppercorn, peanuts, sesame).
Down Under Bakery Pies
The delight that is the savory meat pie made its way to NYC from New Zealand via Down Under Bakery. And while it's closed for sit-down business right now, they are open for takeout, delivery via Caviar, and will ship their frozen pies nationwide—for free as far west as Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky and as far south as South Carolina—and even have hot pies for delivery and pickup in the greater NYC area. Don't sleep on the the bacon, egg, and cheese pie and the Thai chicken pie.
Stay stocked on Instagram and online
Awoke Vintage
It doesn’t get much more Williamsburg than Awoke, a vintage boutique that actually began as a market stall in Perth, Australia, and has operated out of the neighborhood since 2012, expanding to another shop in the neighborhood as well as a location in Greenpoint. The mini-chain is known for its stacks of Levis in every color and size, quirky sweaters, and lacy slips. You can support the female-owned business by shopping its Instagram stories, or by buying an e-gift card that doesn't expire.
McNally Jackson
For avid readers, McNally Jackson is the bookstore of dreams. Sadly, (and we note it's said to be temporary), in March it closed its NoLita, Financial District, and Williamsburg stores, and laid off short of 80 employees. To help keep the booksellers above water, you can place an online order and get free economy shipping for orders of more than $50, donate to their staff’s PayPal support fund, or purchase a gift card for future use.
Rep with local merch
Baby's All Right
Baby's is more than just a bar. A pillar of Williamsburg nightlife, Baby’s does it all: small shows with big acts, drink deals, good bar food, and a friendly, intimate vibe that promises good times. They’re selling their Baby chain, a gold-plated necklace with a cursive pendant, for $199.99, and all purchases during the pandemic guarantee a lifetime pass to future shows. Chains are available for pickup at the bar or can be shipped to buyers outside NYC.
Restaurants also in the merch game
On her Instagram story, New Yorker food writer Helen Rosner has compiled cool restaurant merch from dozens of places in NYC, such as Sweet Chick, Kopitiam, Van Leeuwen, Nom Wah, and more. Spring for a trendy tote or tee to support them.
Support small businesses that are helping others
Pipeline Coffee Company, in Wantagh and Rockville Centre, New York, is bringing coffee to hospitals throughout Long Island. Support them by donating to @pipeline-wantagh or @pipeline-RVC on Venmo.
Fish Cheeks in NoHo is donating food to the Bowery Mission. They're also offering 25 percent off their Thai comfort food, such as coconut crab curry, fried chicken wings, and tiger prawn karee, for delivery and takeout.
886, the East Village Taiwanese restaurant, is now selling bento boxes for pickup and delivery and is bringing them to first responders. Options include Taiwanese kong rou bento and black pepper pea shoots with garlic shaoxing nappa bento (furikake rice).
Send more ways to help NYC local businesses to Alexandra Erdekian.
