With the summer season approaching, the Times Square Alliance reports that 175 businesses have recently reopened, in addition to 18 new brick-and-mortar businesses, many of which are restaurants, bars and fast-casual eateries, that opened during the pandemic.
“We are thrilled to see our local businesses continue to reopen, along with new businesses launching in our district,” said Tom Harris, acting president and COO of the Times Square Alliance. “When we were at the peak of the pandemic, our pedestrian traffic in Times Square was at a record low at 33,000 people per day. However, with the ongoing vaccination rollout, easing capacity restrictions and warm weather arriving after a year of living with the pandemic, we continue to see our vibrant district come back to life with approximately 138,000 pedestrians per day, which is the highest count since the start of COVID-19. We look forward to continuing to welcome back New Yorkers and visitors to Times Square, the center of New York City’s energy and vibrance.”
Businesses that opened during the pandemic include: 16 Handles at 732 Seventh Ave., which opened in April; Cook Eatery, which opened at 11 West 45th St. in October; Jasmine’s Caribbean Cuisine, which debuted last year during the pandemic at 371 West 46th St.; Krispy Kreme, which came to 1601 Broadway in September; Prime Catch, which opened during the pandemic last year at 140 West 46th St.; fast casual restaurant Silky Kitchen, which came to 138 West 46th St. in October; XOXO NYC Bar, which opened in March 2020 at 336 West 46th St. and Zaman Mediterranean, which brought fast-casual dining to 681 Eighth Ave. in November.
Reopening businesses include: 40-year-old entertainment venue Don’t Tell Mama (343 West 46th St.), Ichiran (152 West 49th St.), Red Poke (600 Ninth Ave. and 885 Eight Ave.), The Mean Fiddler (266 West 47th St.) and Tony’s DiNapoli (147 West 43rd St.).
In addition, major hotels including AKA Times Square, OYO Hotel Times Square, RIU Plaza New York Times Square, Westin New York at Times Square, W New York Times Square and Time Hotel have reopened, along with attractions and retail including Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Times Square, H&M, Forever 21 and many others.
While Times Square is only 0.1% of New York City’s land mass, it generates 7% of the City’s jobs and 15% of the total economic input ($58 billion in direct economic output and $47 billion in indirect economic output), contributing $2.5 billion in New York City taxes and $2.3 billion in New York State taxes annually.
