WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. (WBEN) - At least one local restaurant has already prepared for Governor Andrew Cuomo's proposed ban on Styrofoam cups and take-out containers.
Glen Park Tavern in Williamsville anticipated the action taken by New York State and has already eliminated the use of those types of take-out containers. The restaurant's co-owner, Ellie Grenauer, said they eliminated the use of Styrofoam takeout containers months ago.
"A lot of the restauranteurs that I know of have already switched to cardboard and microwavable plastics," she said. "We're ready for it. Our customers don't like Styrofoam. When we switched, they said 'Thank you. We really appreciate this and we don't mind paying a little bit more.'"
The governor announced his proposed ban on Styrofoam food containers in New York State on Tuesday as part of his slow unveil of the 2020 State of the State Agenda. It would prohibit the use of expanded polystyrene, the technical term for Styrofoam. The proposed ban would also ban the sale of Styrofoam packing peanuts and other packaging materials. If passed by the legislature in the 2020 session, it would go into effect in 2022.
Eliminating the use of Styrofoam take-out containers impacted the company's bottom line, though Grenauer described it as "minor". The company made up for it with the use of a to-go surcharge, something they've always had. The surcharge also covered their cost for silverware, napkins, condiments, and other items that went home with customers.
Grenauer, a board member for the New York State Restaurant Association, was first made aware of the Styrofoam ban after New York City announced its ban on single-use Styrofoam in June 2018. She thought the New York City move would trickle soon to the rest of New York State.
"It's like New York City is this testing ground," she said.
She said that restaurant owners need to be aware of the ban on single-use plastic bags, which will begin in March. Grenauer also said owners should be aware of ongoing discussions about mandating a predictable schedule for employees, something she worries could impact company profits if there's a funeral gathering or an employee that calls in sick. She also is hopeful that New York stays with tipped wages as opposed to increasing minimum wage for all servers in New York.