The Ocean Avenue News - oceanavenuenews.comRisks can be minimized by washing produce thoroughly, avoiding pre-cut or bagged fruits and vegetables, and cooking vegetables before eating.
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New York City small businesses facing months-long waits for permits, inspections, and approvals could soon get relief under two proposed bills aimed at cutting bureaucratic hurdles and speeding up the process of opening and operating a business.
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, Council Member Susan Zhuang (D-Brooklyn), the New York City Hospitality Alliance, and small business owners announced a pair of bills on July 13 aimed at supporting small businesses by cutting red tape, reducing fines, and streamlining inspection, permitting, and approval processes.
Introduction 955-A, also known as the Red Tape Relief Act, is sponsored by Zhuang and calls on Mayor Mamdani to establish a program modeled after the Bloomberg-era New Business Acceleration Team (NBAT). NBAT served as a single point of contact to coordinate reviews and inspections across relevant city agencies simultaneously. More than 1,500 restaurants opened ahead of schedule as a result of the program, which was discontinued under former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration.
The Red Tape Relief Act would cover food service establishments and child care programs, with the potential to include additional business types over time. The legislation would coordinate inspections and plan reviews among city agencies to reduce the time it takes for small businesses to open. It builds on previous measures supporting small businesses, including repealing the requirement that commercial storefronts replace traditional solid roll-down gates with visible security grilles, establishing a small retail business security system program for financial assistance, and streamlining child care program permitting.
The bill would also require the city to publicly report on the program’s effectiveness to advance transparency and accountability, while providing an online application portal for prospective businesses to enroll.
Currently, opening a small business in New York City typically requires approvals from multiple city agencies, including the Department of Buildings (DOB), the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the FDNY. Reviews and inspections often take months to complete, and permitting timelines for food and beverage establishments frequently exceed six months. Navigating the city’s complex bureaucratic system presents another hurdle that disproportionately impacts immigrant entrepreneurs and first-time operators.
Speaker Menin is also the sponsor of a preconsidered introduction that would create the Quadrennial Regulatory Review Commission. The commission would be chaired by a small-business representative and include appointees from the Council and city agencies to study the regulatory framework for businesses and issue recommendations to ease permitting, licensing, and inspections, as well as reduce fines and fees.
The commission would meet every four years and issue recommendations aimed at improving government processes, policies, and rulemaking to make it easier to create, operate, and grow businesses in New York City.
Menin said the “innovative” legislation would establish thoughtful, periodic reviews of city regulations, fines, and permitting processes, with the goal of reducing barriers so small businesses can succeed.
“Small businesses are the economic drivers of our local economy and of vibrant neighborhoods, which is why we must be focused on making it easier to start and sustain them in our city,” Menin stated. “At a time when New York has lost thousands of businesses to other cities across the country, our city must take proactive steps to support them.”
Zhuang shared that, as the daughter of a small business owner, she has experienced firsthand what it takes to build a business in New York City. She noted that too many entrepreneurs, especially immigrant entrepreneurs, spend months or even years getting lost in red tape while trying to open a business.
“I introduced this bill because our small business owners deserve a city government that works with them, not against them. This legislation brings back a model that worked before and gets restaurants and childcare programs open faster. I thank Speaker Menin and my colleagues for their partnership in getting this done, and I’m proud to champion small businesses across our city,” Zhuang said.
According to a January 2026 economic snapshot by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC), only 3,500 new businesses started in the five boroughs during the second quarter of 2025, marking the weakest quarter of new business formation in the past five years. With an estimated 8,400 businesses closing during the same period, New York City lost a net of nearly 5,000 businesses, underscoring the importance of supporting small-business creation.
Andrew Rigie, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, said delays in permitting and inspections have prevented restaurants from opening, affecting job creation and neighborhoods.
“Opening a restaurant in New York City means navigating an alphabet soup of government agencies, from DOH and DOB to FDNY and many more,” Rigie said. “This commonsense legislation will help coordinate and streamline the permitting process so restaurants can open faster and create jobs sooner.”
The bills will be introduced at the City Council Stated Meeting on July 16 and, if enacted, would take effect 180 days after becoming law.
Slowing the pace of service “lets us spend more time with each guest and better share the stories behind the coffees we’re serving.”
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THE NATION’S FIRST MORATORIUM on new hyperscale data centers was established on Tuesday when Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order.
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The lectures will take place at gardens, bars, parks and cafes in various neighborhoods and include free refreshments.
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The lectures will take place at gardens, bars, parks and cafes in various neighborhoods and include free refreshments.
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NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL Letitia James on Monday joined 11 other attorneys general to sue Paramount Skydance Corp. and Warner Bros.
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