1. "The community leader leading the charge in the War on Brunch is recruiting Greenpoint residents to tattle on restaurants that serve diners outdoors on Sundays before noon.
2. “If you see restaurants serving brunch on the sidewalk before noon, call 311!” said Burrows — who has come to play the role of General Patton in the escalating conflict. “I didn’t pass the law, but that’s the law.”
3. Department of Consumer Affairs inspectors — deployed after requests from CB1 members — began cracking down on restaurants that serve food and drink outdoors before noon on Sundays in violation of a rarely enforced city blue law that has prohibited the practice since 1971.
4. The Sunday ban was put in place to promise peace and quiet out of respect for restaurant neighbors on what some view as a day of rest, city officials said.
5. But anti-brunchers say several restaurants have abused the policy and seated diners outdoors, making life uncomfortable for elderly neighbors.
6. “I saw a guy in a wheelchair moving himself into the street at 11 am because of the sidewalk crowds,” said Greenpoint resident Kathleen O’Boyle. “These restaurants are not supposed to open until noon. I called the police three times!”
7. “The notion that sidewalk dining in some way restricts, inhibits or in any other way interferes with church attendance is utter hogwash,” said Greenpoint Reformed Church Rev. Ann Kansfield.
8. And Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church pastor Joseph Calise said he has not heard complaints about sidewalk traffic from parishioners and that the Brooklyn Diocese did not ask the city to enforce its brunch laws.
9. Kansfield has even called on CB1 to ask the city to eliminate the “discriminatory” law, since other faiths observe the Sabbath on other days of the week — when brunch is legally served even earlier.
10. But Burrows defended his position, noting that rebel restaurants must obey the law as it is written and are a “direct affront to the community.”
“When a certain restaurant first applied for a sidewalk cafe, people from the street … were concerned about the sidewalk being blocked,” Burrows wrote in a Facebook thread. “Unfortunately the actions of one are affecting the others since we cannot have selective prosecution of the law. Consequently enforcement against him is impacting others.”
If you see brunching, say something — Civic leader recruits neighbors in War on Brunch • The Brooklyn Paper
2. “If you see restaurants serving brunch on the sidewalk before noon, call 311!” said Burrows — who has come to play the role of General Patton in the escalating conflict. “I didn’t pass the law, but that’s the law.”
3. Department of Consumer Affairs inspectors — deployed after requests from CB1 members — began cracking down on restaurants that serve food and drink outdoors before noon on Sundays in violation of a rarely enforced city blue law that has prohibited the practice since 1971.
4. The Sunday ban was put in place to promise peace and quiet out of respect for restaurant neighbors on what some view as a day of rest, city officials said.
5. But anti-brunchers say several restaurants have abused the policy and seated diners outdoors, making life uncomfortable for elderly neighbors.
6. “I saw a guy in a wheelchair moving himself into the street at 11 am because of the sidewalk crowds,” said Greenpoint resident Kathleen O’Boyle. “These restaurants are not supposed to open until noon. I called the police three times!”
7. “The notion that sidewalk dining in some way restricts, inhibits or in any other way interferes with church attendance is utter hogwash,” said Greenpoint Reformed Church Rev. Ann Kansfield.
8. And Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church pastor Joseph Calise said he has not heard complaints about sidewalk traffic from parishioners and that the Brooklyn Diocese did not ask the city to enforce its brunch laws.
9. Kansfield has even called on CB1 to ask the city to eliminate the “discriminatory” law, since other faiths observe the Sabbath on other days of the week — when brunch is legally served even earlier.
10. But Burrows defended his position, noting that rebel restaurants must obey the law as it is written and are a “direct affront to the community.”
“When a certain restaurant first applied for a sidewalk cafe, people from the street … were concerned about the sidewalk being blocked,” Burrows wrote in a Facebook thread. “Unfortunately the actions of one are affecting the others since we cannot have selective prosecution of the law. Consequently enforcement against him is impacting others.”
If you see brunching, say something — Civic leader recruits neighbors in War on Brunch • The Brooklyn Paper
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