3 Forest Hills Eatery Owners Featured in 'Pandemic Profiles'

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — A three-part “Pandemic Profiles” series published last month by Support Forest Hills Eateries details the realities three local business owners have faced keeping their businesses open during the pandemic.

The series, which was published by the Forest Hills-based, volunteer-led restaurant-support organization, features three businesses owners across the food industry: François Danielo, owner of La Boulangerie de François, Tim Ducey, owner of Acey Ducey’s and Tap House, and Sohan, who also goes by Shehab Hossain, owner of Paratha Wala.

All three describe challenges they’ve faced with third-party delivery services and difficulties navigating a slew of changing dining regulations.

SFHE co-founder Anu Pattabiraman said that the series helps to reveal the owners’ “struggles, resilience, and above all, enduring passion for curating delicious experiences for their community.”

And this isn’t SFHE’s first attempt to help local eateries stay afloat — during the past year the organization has used its website and social media platforms to showcase information to help small business owners, and connect community members with local eateries.

For businesses there’s an online list of business relief opportunities and a guide on how to set up gift cards, and for community members there’s a directory of local restaurants to support, and a list of relief initiatives that are accepting donations.

Also, last summer, SFHE partnered with Queens Together, a borough-wide restaurant relief organization, to organize a fundraiser that donated food from Forest Hills-based Mediterranean restaurant, Pahal Zan, to a neighborhood food bank, reported Forest Hills Times.