Lunch is something that New Yorkers wouldn’t dare zoom in.
As the Big Apple’s workforce continues to return to its skyscrapers and offices, many are taking a solid time for their lunch — without fear of being caught offline.
“Face time is different now with hybrid work. If anything, less pressure can be seen in the office nowadays,” said Mike B., a banker with his colleague Gil R, enjoying lunch at Bryant Park earlier this week.
After the two finished eating, Gill said, “We don’t feel the pressure to go back early, but continued to enjoy the weather and some conversation.
Other finance people, such as Bruno Lamarre, and his friend Andy L., said higher-ups are also encouraging workers not to chain themselves to their desks since returning to their offices three days a week in late March. Tie it
“We definitely feel a laid-back approach to things like lunch breaks. We are also being told not to stay up late when we can,” Lamare said while eating a rap in the park.
With many returning to the office on a hybrid schedule, having lunch with coworkers is one way to ensure they get to see them in person. Same goes for Sommer Howard and Mariana Lee, 25, who work for Estée Lauder Enterprise Marketing and Data. He returned to part-time work in April; Their designated team day is Thursday, and they often make use of it by dining together.
“We’ve had several team lunches,” Howard told The Post while grabbing a bite at Amalfi on East 60th Street and Park Avenue. “We try not to get too many calls on these [in person] day and spend time with each other… It’s the one day a week where we can take a break and say ‘We’re having this lunch time.’ ,
More office people are flocking to lunch in Midtown’s restaurants, too.
“There’s been a dramatic difference in the lunch rush since late March,” said Amalie’s owner, James Malios. They saw a 20% increase in lunchtime weekday eaters since last April as opposed to 2019—and their crowds are primarily NYC’s “worker bees” rather than top brass.
And like the city’s weekday brunch crowd, workers aren’t afraid to get drunk at work. Mallios said he is selling more bottles of wine at lunch than almost before.
“Beverage sales have doubled this April, April 2019, and you don’t get that from iced tea,” he joked. “People are using these lunches to enjoy reconnecting with each other with their clients and customers.”
Michelin-starred chef and NYC restaurateur Daniel Boulud said this “office pace” is spurring the return of power lunches, as people can once again “just get together, socialize and work.”
“We see it. We see New York making a very strong comeback. I see it on the Upper West Side as well. Now, as Lincoln Center is coming back, there’s definitely more prosperity. Besides, Broadway is making a strong comeback,” he told Fox Business.
And it appears that employees are using up their entire lunch hour for about a minute.
“Our Average” [weekday] The lunch turnaround is 55 minutes and 41 seconds nowadays,” Christopher Feeney, general manager of Nerai, a Greek restaurant on East 54th Street and Madison Avenue, told The Post.
Feeney anticipates that as the weather gets better, the lunch rush will be back in full force.
“We are expecting 250 to 300 in the coming weeks” [daily] Flips the table for our weekday lunches,” he said. “It’s simple: People want to hang out, they want to spend time with each other.”
