Life in New York City isn’t easy, and it’s getting worse, says the owner of Gotham’s most famous eatery.
Alan Rosen, owner of Junior’s Restaurant, would know.
He’s on site every day at three stores in downtown Brooklyn and Times Square.
Residents are being blamed, he said.
“This is not cheesecake. New York City products need to be polished. They need to be smoothed out. They need a little shine,” Rosen, 55, said.
“The narrative needs to change. The reality needs to change. We need the city to provide a better product.”
He also sympathizes with the New York Police Department’s seemingly lenient attitude toward crime.
“When did it become OK to shoplift from a pharmacy?” In what society is this allowed? You can’t shoplift from CVS,” Rosen told the Post in an exclusive interview.
“Enough! There are no consequences. That’s part of the problem.”
He said he is concerned about the safety of workers when they leave work at night, noting that his daughter was randomly assaulted in Bushwick last summer.
Rosen said his restaurant, frequented by prominent Polish figures including former President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, was open until the early hours of the morning before the coronavirus pandemic. , said the store closes before midnight on weekdays.
“We feel insecure. We feel unsafe. We want our city back,” he said.
The third-generation Junior owner saw a front-page article last week about a Citizens Budget Committee poll of residents showing that New Yorkers feel worse off today than they were six years ago in virtually every way. I decided to talk to the Post.
He also cited the assault on a police officer by an immigrant in Times Square (near two of his stores) last month and the recent shooting on the A subway train as other “triggers” that prompted him to speak out. Ta.
Here’s what Rosen had to say about the big issues facing the city:
- Cashless bail laws are a “disaster” that allow “a few bad apples,” or serial criminals, to roam the streets and strike again.
“Give judges the discretion to put people back in prison,” he said. “A few bad apples can ruin the whole thing.”
- Lack of support and respect for police is emboldening criminals.
“Our police are in handcuffs. Hire more police! We need to defund the police, not defund them,” he said.
“You want to charge people to drive to the theater? That’s ridiculous,” he said.
“It’s expensive enough to come to New York. We should have more traffic, more foot traffic, in the city.”
Junior’s famous cheesecakes and other products are now made at the bakery in Burlington, New Jersey. That means junior trucks are subject to congestion charges.
- New York State’s shelter policies make it “too easy” for immigrants to obtain shelter and services without being able to get jobs.
“It’s not free-for-all. I don’t know what else to call it,” he said.
“Look at how much money we spend putting unemployed immigrants in hotels instead of hosting tourists. That helps no one. It has to be taken care of. People who have been here a long time don’t feel like they’re recognized.”
- The streets of too many cities are dirty and there are too many “aggressive beggars” in tourist areas.
“The trend is downward.”
Rosen has invested heavily in Cheesecake, which has three locations in the Big Apple, and emphasized that she wants to be a “cheerleader.”
“I spend more of my waking hours in New York than anywhere else,” said Rosen, who lives in Westchester.
The city has many “great” assets, including the Broadway Theater District. It remains a mecca for entertainment, dining and sports, he said.
“I’d like to encourage people to come here. I like to see the positives grow. In New York City, that trend is trending down right now,” he said.
Junior’s opened its main bakery in New Jersey 10 years ago because Rosen said he couldn’t find a suitable, affordable space in New Jersey.
“I couldn’t afford a seven-acre property to do it in New York,” he said.
But he also considers Jersey bakeries to be part of the New York area.
Rosen did not single out Mayor Eric Adams as a target of criticism of the current situation, but said he assessed the city as being at its best under former Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
Although Rosen describes himself as “just a guy who makes cheesecake and corned beef” and opened his family’s restaurant on Election Day 1950, he has never considered running for office. he admitted.
“I thought about it,” he said, “Maybe I’ll be persuaded.”
“I’m not a politician. I’m too honest. I just want to get this over with.”
Cities need to operate more agilely, like businesses.
“We need to address problems head-on. If there’s a problem in my restaurant, we address it right then and there,” Rosen said.
“Cities need to be managed for the public. It’s clear we’re not doing our best. We can do better.”
