Staten Island restaurant owners have a message for politicians that everyone needs to hear before it’s too late

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — As part of my routine on the food beat, I visit multiple restaurants and markets each week—sometimes three or four in a single day. This gives me the chance to speak with a wide range of food service operators, grocers, and the hard-working people behind Staten Island’s restaurant industry. The job comes with a few realities: I’ll never be a Size 2, I hear a lot of opinions, and I’ve developed a solid sense of the Staten Island industry’s pulse.

After speaking with dozens of owners and managers over the past several days of varying backgrounds and political views, some compelling observations have emerged. But before diving into those, one common theme stands out: frustration with politics. This column isn’t about telling anyone how to vote or urging attendance at co