By Benyamin Davidsons
Power lunches, once a ritual for top businesses in the Big Apple, have been absent since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Now, thanks to the vaccine rollout, the city can begin its recovery. As per a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, business execs are happy to have the see-and-be-seen lunches resume once again. “In-person is way better than anything,” said Jonathan Mechanic, who chairs the real-estate department at Fried Frank, an international law firm headquartered in New York City. “It’s like the major leagues versus sandlot ball.”
Of course, there are still some safety protocols which still need to followed, before lunches can truly resume to the way they had been. The state is still mandating a limit on capacity for indoor dining at 50 percent. As the weather continues to improve, though, that becomes less of an impediment as outdoor dining is once more plausible. The meetings with clients and colleagues can resume with a meal, but most of the gathering will be taking place on Tuesdays, Wednesday s and Thursdays, as many employees are still likely to work remotely from home on Mondays and Fridays.
Many are glad to be back in the limelight after a year of isolation. “You’re so happy to be with people who don’t live with you,” said Marlene Wallach, founder of Gleem Beauty, a skin-care company headquartered in the city. Dining in Midtown, the center of where the action was, is no longer a requirement, however. New York’s office occupancy is still low, and restaurants in other locations may prove to be more convenient. As per a survey of major employers by the Partnership for New York City, a nonprofit organization that represents business leaders, just 10% of office workers in Manhattan were back at their desks, as of March.
Moreover, the survey respondents said they only expect office occupancy to reach about 45 percent by September. Hot spots are likely to change, especially with all the restaurant closures that NYC has faced. Andrew Saba, an assistant vice president at financial firm AllianceBernstein, has been taking clients to business meals at restaurants in the West Village, instead of Midtown.
Power players can once again buy each other a cocktail or a glass of wine. The once-standard business dress code, however, will be adjusted to allow for the more casual settings. “There’s no need to put on a jacket,” Saba said.
