Canto West Village

How the Lives of NYC Restaurant Workers Have Changed

"Although Hannah Treasure was laid off from her job at a West Village restaurant in March, the past six months haven’t made her worse off financially. She was able to collect unemployment, and without any unforeseen expenses, she was barely spending anything. She continued to teach online as an adjunct professor at CUNY a couple of days a week through May (while still getting unemployment) and then her graduate program ended. In June, she returned to work at her restaurant. Her hours were limited at first, and she was able to continue collecting unemployment. “That was a huge cushion. I’ve never been able to save money,” she says. What has changed is her relationship with the customers — the meager tips and disregard for social distancing she’s seeing in the West Village." - Chris Crowley