Coronavirus Fundraisers Help NYC's Laid-Off Restaurant Workers

DOWNTOWN, MANHATTAN — Earlier this week, lead line cook Ben Furman was getting ready to head back to work at Flatiron restaurant Scampi when he saw some troubling news — the West 18th Street eatery, and all New York City restaurants, would be shutting down because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Furman, who had been out sick (not coronavirus related), was excited to get back to work after losing a week's pay.

Now, he and the 40 or so other staff members at Scampi didn't know when they would see their next paycheck.

"I needed to get back into work to get money for my son, my wife and my family and I saw it on Instagram," Furman said. "I was like, 'Oh great, now I have to pay rent.'"

Furman is one of thousands of New York City restaurant workers who lost their jobs this week after Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered all bars and restaurants in the state to close up shop aside from takeout and delivery orders amid the coroanvirus pandemic.

Cuomo mostly recently issued a stay-at-home order that will even more stringently require all New Yorkers to stay inside except for essential activities such as getting groceries or medications. More than 4,000 cases of the coronavirus are confirmed in New York City as of Friday.

But the line cook, who applied for unemployment this week, says his fears were eased, albeit only slightly, a few days later when Scampi's chef PJ Calapa set up a GoFundMe for the restaurant staff online.

The fundraiser's goal of $25,000 could help workers buy groceries, pay their rent and in Furman's case, buy essentials for his eight-month-old son, he said. But, maybe more importantly, it can help put their minds at ease.

"He deeply cares about all his staff," Furman said. "[The fundraiser] helps not just financially, but mentally — just like, 'Okay, there's people out there who care about us.'"

The fundraiser is one of several that are popping up to help New York City restaurants and their staff. Scampi's GoFundMe had raised $1,880 as of Friday morning.

Similar efforts have started to bring in thousands of dollars to restaurants like NoHo Thai eatery Fish Cheeks, Midtown Lebansese spot ILILI and even performers like the improv group Upright Citizen's Brigade's staff.

Local business improvement districts have also thrown their efforts behind the restaurant and retail industries. The organizations are keeping track of which businesses are still open, if only for delivery, and how best to help them.

"The whole restaurant industry got hit like a tidal wave," Furman said. "People have kids and little babies and they are new dads — it's going to be rough out there."