Human waste, drug paraphernalia and piles of garbage.

For four years, staff at Willie’s Café cleared their front patio every morning before opening, until they eventually shut it down and packed away the outdoor furniture.

It “just became unmanageable,” owner Ian Kennard said.

“We had tables and chairs there, but we had to get rid of them because it just encouraged open drug use, loitering and my customers didn’t want to have to come past that,” he said.

After the patio closed, staff focused on serving customers inside at the East Village Market, which also has been challenging since COVID-19 struck.

“It’s beautiful (inside), but it’s empty most of the time,” Kennard said. “There used to be seven or eight vendors in the building but they’ve all left. If your business depends on foot t

See Full Page