Friday, January 22, 2016

Is a restaurant being run out of this single-family home?


From the Times Ledger:

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) rallied outside a single-family rental home in Bayside Tuesday with many concerned neighbors fearing potential hazardous consequences from what they allege is a commercial food operation being conducted illegally.

Residents lodged complaints with the appropriate city agencies and called on Avella to look into the suspected business being run at 33-31 204th St. Avella said he called on both the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the city Department of Buildings to investigate.

The Health Department sent cease-and-desist orders to both the property owners and the tenants after attempting to investigate resulting only in a violation, which was paid.

But neighbors still claim they smell potent food odors and burning oil at all times of day and night. They also say they have seen a large propane tank being taken inside and many different people go in and out of the home carrying large food containers while double parking cars for pickup and drop off daily.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Vibrant. Diverse. Queens!

Anonymous said...

"If it's good for families, it's good for Queens." Who keeps saying that?

Anonymous said...

Why doesn't any of this surprise me anymore?

JQ LLC said...

Here in the world's borough, you should expect genuine home cooking.

(sarc) said...

I thought E V E R Y B O D Y loves a "home" cooked meal...

Anonymous said...

How come the local city council member is not on this the way Tony "The Tiger" Avella always is?
Are the owners Asian?

Anonymous said...

'SEAMLESS.COM' THE UBER OF FOOD DELIVERY !!

Anonymous said...

Probably running a Chinese dumpling factory...the stuff you see on dim sum menus.

Anonymous said...

with the advent of Seamless and Grubhub (same company, BTW) and the like, people have been setting up "fake" restaurants, either in whole, like it may be the case here, or running multiple 'restaurants' out of the same business. They only exist on digital paper.

If all the food is delivery and online orders, then they can run this "business" without having to actually be a real restaurant.

Anonymous said...

Yep. Regular, normal, accepted business practices in Flooshing, Bayside.
Mr. Avella there is one not far from you on 160th Street that needs to be looked at.
Multiple laws being broken, violated.
(DOB, NYFD,Dept. of Health, NYC and State Finance, IRS just to list a few).

311 does nothing - I think sometimes they have a good laugh at the stupid people calling in.

And this neighborhood is lucky, seems only food is involved.
There are plenty others with whores, gambling, drinking, drugs.

Anonymous said...

Rumor is the present renters are exiled Tibetans who make the best momos In all of Queens. No need to trek out to Woodside when the momo cravings commence! Don't knock them unil you've tried them.

Anonymous said...

Well, this is new. Homes have been used for prostitution, parties, grow houses for pot, drug mills, some legit business -- dental and medical offices-- remember the old days walking to the dentist's home? Was only a matter of time before food prep mills took hold. What's next?

Anonymous said...

My neighbor charges for families to use her outdoor pool all summer long. I have ads that she's posted on the internet. Car loads of strangers every hour or so. Changing their kids on the street, leaving garbage. I have repeatedly complained to the community board, DOH, etc. and no one does anything about it. Queens!!

Anonymous said...

Chris Glorioso of WNBC did a news story titled 'Ghost Restaurants' to bring this issue to light.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Food-Delivery-Website-Grubhub-Seamless-Investigation-I-Team-Change-Name-False-Identity-364670831.html

Anonymous said...

Who is to say only food is involved, think about the situation on 196th Street in Flooshing also. There is a lot of corrupt things that are now going on in this area and should be investigated closely.

I bet this is a ring of businesses, starts with food ends with a massage with happy ending. I bet there is more to this. Say bye to Queens!

Camel bladder said...

If the neighbors think the strong odor of food cooking is bad wait until the local sewers begin backing up from the food grease clogs. You don't really think they installed grease traps in the waste lines from this kitchen operation the way a legitimate restaurant is required to do you? Oh I can see it and smell it now, great big gobs of grease, chunks of semi decayed food and toilet paper from this operation spewing into the finished basements of the neighbors homes, not to mention the condoms from the local Asian yanky cranky club down the block. Ah diversity !

Anonymous said...

To all the Anons that keep using the term "Flooshing:"

If you can't respect the name of your own town and call it Flushing, how do you expect all those you so vehemently complain about to do so? When I enter someone's home and see that they've tracked mud all over the carpet, and call their home a shithole, why shouldn't I treat it like a crap filled shithole, too?

It may be an uphill battle to fight the downfall of Flushing and all of Queens and NYC, but if you have no respect, don't expect to ever win respect from who you are fighting.

Anonymous said...

I'm guesing these news reporters passed hundreds of illegal massage places and gambling cafes on their way out to Queens...just to cover an illegal restaurant?

Anonymous said...

God bless the entrepeneurs. LOL!
Got to pay the mortgage any way you can.
How many houses during the golden age of the 1950s
had illegally "finished basements" and for what purpose.
I knew of one , near my parents home, that was running an art school.
One means of egress, turpentine and linseed oil.
Of course, these new trends are agregious and very dangerous!

Anonymous said...

The city wants to fine landlords for renting to a massage parlor without a license but doesn't want to fine Grubhub for listing a ghost restaurant.

Anonymous said...

To all the Anons that keep using the term "Flooshing:"

How about if we just call it "Falasheng" for you?
Keep you mud stories for some other occasion, don't apply here.
Look around and see who is responsible for all of this.
Ciao.

Anonymous said...

Did someone say Momos?!?!

Anonymous said...

My neighbor charges for families to use her outdoor pool all summer long. I have ads that she's posted on the internet. Car loads of strangers every hour or so. Changing their kids on the street, leaving garbage. I have repeatedly complained to the community board, DOH, etc. and no one does anything about it. Queens!!

1. write to your councilman and Albany guys
2. write to the Queens weeklies
3. then come here and show everyone how you were given the bums rush.

Anonymous said...

Flooshing fits the picture well, unless you prefer Frushing.

Anonymous said...

Call the IRS. No taxes, they will get them!
Much quicker response than any senator, 311, CB.

Jerry Rotondi said...

I never really liked the name Flushing from the get go. My friends always laughed at a town named for a flushing toilet.
I suggest we return to the old Dutch 17th century name of Vlisingen. It has much more class.
Councilman Vallone, would you propose this before the mayor and the city council?
On all my correspondence I simply use "Queens, N.Y. 11358" or "Broadway 11358". It beats embarrassing "Flushing".
The postal mail courier has no problem with that.

Anonymous said...

That is true. Tell people that you live in Flushing and their reply is, "Isn't that some sort of Chinatown?"

Anonymous said...

What's there to be ashamed of? It's FLOOSHING, until some of its inhabitants learn some manners and practice clean sanitation.

Anonymous said...

That is called cottage industry, the backbone of ....LOL....America.
Call the FDNY. Storing tanks of propane could result in a huge explosion.
That is a major violation of both the fire code mortgage lenders and insurance companies.
Learn to fight smart. Calling 311 is a joke. They will not help you put out a fire when your home catches fire because of an illegally run restaurant.

Anonymous said...

It is a true shame what is happening around Whitestone, Flushing and the Bayside area. These areas were neighborhoods filled with loving families, tax paying citizens, hard workers, and respectful people. It was a melting pot of many nationalities who respected each other and enjoyed each others culture.

Now what is it turning into? It is awful that their is a take over of illegal businesses being run out of residential homes. It was a pleasure to raise my children in this area. It is unfortunate many have been subjected to this! We built this area to be a reputable place to live and raise a family, HAVE A LITTLE RESPECT.

No matter if it is a massage parlor (which offers an array of other experiences to their clients), or ghost kitchen (which can pose a threat as far as health concerns to those purchasing the food since most THINK they are purchasing from a legal restaurant, as well as a threat to neighbors) or any other illegal business, IT IS WRONG AND NEEDS TO BE STOPPED.

I hope situations like these create a bond in our community and help stop such actions. It is not fair to honest tax payers to be subjected to any such thing from anyone.

If any of use here didn't file our taxes the IRS would be on our backs, these people are running cash businesses, no insurance, etc. IT IS A CRIME and they should pay the price.

I thank God my wife and I live on a block that still is what we call a neighborhood. Our concern as well as others is if someone decides to sell, you never know what business will be running out of the house or apartment next door.

We have to keep our eyes wide open!