Buunni Coffee in Riverdale said goodbye to customers and
neighbors on Saturday before closing their Riverdale Avenue storefront.
The owners told News 12 that they were “heartbroken.”
The shop was part of a rent reduction program for a while,
but was forced to close when it expired.
While Buunni Coffee couldn’t survive the pandemic, elected
officials are working to make sure that it doesn't happen moving forward to
other small businesses.
They are touting the Commercial Vacancy Tax bill, Recovery
Lease Program, Small Business Jobs Survival Act and the Commercial Rent
Stabilization bill.
"We have to pass meaningful legislation that will
raise revenue,” said XXXX. “Raising revenue means asking those who have made a
profit to pay just a little bit more for a little bit of time that can actually
give meaningful financial support to the businesses that we love that make our
communities vibrant."