Village of Tuckahoe approves fast food chain ban

After nearly a year of discussion, the village of Tuckahoe Board of Trustees has passed a law that will prohibit fast food restaurants from opening up shop in the village. The controversy over these types of restaurants began in July 2015 when Subway applied for a permit to open a storefront at 73 Main St. Their permit was eventually approved, driving village residents to collect petition signatures asking the village to amend its zoning rules to prevent more chain restaurants from opening throughout the community. Residents were also concerned with how an influx of fast food chains could potentially alter the character of the village. The ban, which was passed at the village board’s March 7 meeting, specifically applies to “formula fast food and formula quick casual restaurants,” which includes restaurants with more than seven locations state and nationwide. However, sit-down chain restaurants with a waitstaff, such as Chili’s or Applebee’s, will be permitted. Joseph Amano, owner of Pure Food and Drink, located on Fisher Avenue in the village of Tuckahoe, said one of the things that drew him to Tuckahoe from the Bronx was the lack of fast food restaurant chains. “I felt [the lack of fast food restaurants] was for the well-being of the children, first and foremost, [who] are the future,” he said during the March 7 meeting. Trustee Steven Alfasi, a Republican, said that he was in favor of the ban because of the size of Tuckahoe, and that if the law were for a larger community like the cities of Yonkers or White Plains, he might vote differently. “It’s Tuckahoe, and the smallness of our community is a major factor in my decision,” Alfasi said. -Reporting by Kiley Stevens

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