A bright and popular addition for Roosevelt Island opened one year ago. Granny Annie’s overcame never before seen obstacles, welcoming its first diners in September 2020.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
A One-Year Anniversary for Granny Annie’s
No one needs reminding that 2020 was a harrowing year around the world, but among Roosevelt Island businesses, maybe Granny Annie’s got the worst of it.
Filling space vacated by Riverwalk Bar & Grill, Granny’s promised reinvigorating Riverwalk Commons. But after months of renovations, the coronavirus pandemic smacked the restaurant before the doors swung open.
It was worse because, missing their opening date meant not qualifying for government support pouring in for others. Federal salary support required opening before COVID hit, but the newcomer hadn’t gotten there yet.
Without any revenue, but aided by a sympathetic landlord, the owners hung on for six months. Hudson-Related quietly shared the suffering with many of its Shops On Main business, and that made a difference.
Happily, a year later, Roosevelt Island’s newest eatery is going strong, food served indoors and out on the border of the Commons.
Its visible popularity suggests a long and successful stay.
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The WIRE: Two Futures, One Empty Chair
It is December 6, 2015, and David Stone is writing to Dr. Jack Resnick about a chair that will soon be empty. Dick Lutz is preparing to leave the Main Street WIRE, and Stone has been encouraged to ask whether he might replace him. Seven years of covering art, Cornell Tech and questionable practices inside Public Safety have taught Stone how the paper tells an Island story.
