A controversial Palestinian restaurant chain that came under fire for anti-Israel language on one of its menu items has installed a “huge” and “offensive” concrete slab on the sidewalk outside its soon-to-open Brooklyn location. He is now being heckled again for setting it up.
Giant outdoor slab 10 feet long and 8 feet wide Ayat on Knickerbocker Avenue Bushwick has received at least seven 311 complaints since Monday, the day after the installation.
The chain plans to use the 2-foot-tall board for outdoor seating, but local residents are calling it a dangerous obstruction and want the city to remove it.
“This is ridiculous,” said passerby Cynthia Jerziolkowski, 27. “I wish the city would let us remove whatever it was.”
“Who thought this was okay? The word 'blatant' comes to mind. “Uncomfortable” is another,” she added.
Ayat made headlines last year when its owners titled the seafood section of its Ditmas Park restaurant's menu “From the River to the Sea'' in the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel by Hamas.
The phrase is considered an anti-Semitic call for the destruction of the Jewish state by the Anti-Defamation League.
In Bushwick, neighbors also complained that the concrete barrier lacked an ADA ramp, calling the slab “too huge” and complaining that it would be difficult for pedestrians in wheelchairs to navigate its sidewalks. Some people divulge.
According to the New York City Department of Small Business Services, all city sidewalks in low-traffic areas must have at least 5 feet of walkable space.
A minimum of 8 feet is required on high-traffic sidewalks. Knickerbocker Avenue etc.But the Post measured that there is currently less than 5 feet of walkable space on the sidewalk.
According to the Department of Transportation, Ayat received a violation notice for trespassing on a sidewalk and a summons for not seeking prior approval to set up a restaurant.
Restaurateur Abdul Elenani did not respond to a request for comment.
“They are occupying every corner,” said one local resident. “What a great way to welcome yourself to the area.”
