From the New York Post: New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s radical policy proposals have prompted high-profile restaurateur Stratis Morfogen to cancel plans to open new businesses.
He told Side Dish he’s pulling the plug on three new establishments, including one in Midtown West.
“I waited for the election before signing and now I’m not signing,” he said.
Just last week, Morfogen opened his first restaurant in Miami. He is also planning to open Diner24 in Miami in 2026.
“I’m not signing any more leases in New York,” Morfogen vowed. “I’ll keep what I have. We’re not expanding in New York but we are pursuing further opportunities in Miami and other cities.
“We just don’t feel that this mayor is suitable to supporting small businesses,” Morfogen declared.
The report also quotes Veteran restaurateur and nightlife guru Richie Romero, who has halted all new openings except for a new East Village outpost of Sushi By Bou, for which construction began months before the election.
X user CityDeskNYC warned:
Mamdani’s $30 wage fantasy isn’t progressive—it’s economic arson. Stratis Morfogen’s exit is just the first domino. The Queens Chamber of Commerce already warned this delusional mandate would gut small businesses, and here’s the proof. Mamdani’s rent freeze? Another nail in the coffin for landlords already bled dry by his 2019 tenant laws.
His platform isn’t about equity—it’s a demolition plan for NYC’s economy. Restaurateurs aren’t fleeing “radical compassion.” They’re escaping a mayor who treats profit like poison and job creators like piñatas.
When even Bloomberg acolytes boo you at a Crain’s forum, you’re not a reformer—you’re a wrecking ball with a podium.
Mamdani’s $30 wage fantasy isn’t progressive—it’s economic arson. Stratis Morfogen’s exit is just the first domino. The Queens Chamber of Commerce already warned this delusional mandate would gut small businesses, and here’s the proof. Mamdani’s rent freeze? Another nail in the…
— CityDeskNYC (@CityDeskNYC) November 13, 2025
The same user wrote in another post:
Stratis Morfogen isn’t fleeing New York—he’s escaping Mamdani’s economic suicide pact. The $30 wage mandate isn’t “pro-worker”—it’s a kill switch for diners, burger joints, and anyone not bankrolled by activist slush funds. Mamdani’s platform? Punitive regulation, tax hikes on anyone creating jobs, and a delusional crusade against reality. Morfogen’s Miami pivot isn’t fear—it’s survival.
NYC’s vacant storefronts and shuttered diners aren’t accidents—they’re the direct result of DSA-approved policy that treats small businesses as ATMs for socialist experiments. Mamdani’s vision: a city where only government-run grocery stores and nonprofit cafés survive, staffed by ideologues who’ve never balanced a ledger.
Every restaurateur bolting to Florida is a receipt proving his agenda isn’t progress—it’s arson. The “hostility index” spikes when radicals seize power and realize their utopia burns faster than a $22 burger under a grill they regulated into oblivion.
Stratis Morfogen isn’t fleeing New York—he’s escaping Mamdani’s economic suicide pact. The $30 wage mandate isn’t “pro-worker”—it’s a kill switch for diners, burger joints, and anyone not bankrolled by activist slush funds. Mamdani’s platform? Punitive regulation, tax hikes on…
— CityDeskNYC (@CityDeskNYC) November 13, 2025
READ MORE from the New York Post.
Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter.)
The DML News App: www.X.com/DMLNewsApp
The Dennis Michael Lynch Podcast archive is available below, with the most recent on top. Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the show by downloading The DML News App or go to Apple Podcasts.
