Elected officials, LICP representatives and Chi Chicken owner Taro Yang (second from left) pose with ceremonial lions at launch of LIC Lunar New Year. Photo Ramy Mahmoud
Jan. 28, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
The Long Island City Partnership (LICP) launched its fourth-annual Lunar New Year business festival at the newly-opened hot pot restaurant Chi Chicken Friday, with special promotions at dozens of local businesses.
The event marks the beginning of a month-long LIC Lunar New Year celebration honoring the area’s rapidly growing Asian population and saluting the Year of the Snake.
More than 70 local restaurants, bars, arts and culture institutions, health and fitness businesses and hotels will take part in the month-long celebration, which runs from Jan. 24 until Feb. 23.
Photo by Ramy Mahmoud
Elected officials, including State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, Council Member Julie Won and Assembly Members Zohran Mamdani and Claire Valdez, attended the Lunar New Year kick-off at Chi Chicken, which opened at 42-59 Hunter St. around six months ago, offering a variety of Asian fusion hot pot meals.
Friday’s launch event featured a traditional Chinese fan dance, organized by Queensboro Dance Festival and performed by Shuqi Andy Cong, and concluded with a ceremonial lion dance “blessing” of several local businesses ahead of the new year.
State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez “feeds” a ceremonial lion at Chi Chicken. Photo: Ramy Mahmoud.
It also featured a hot pot demonstration from Chi Chicken owner Taro Yang.
Council Member Julie Won and Chi Chicken owner Taro Yang provide a hot pot demonstration. Photo: Ramy Mahmoud
The festival, now in its fourth year, features promotions from a number of local businesses, with dozens of bars and restaurants offering limited-edition menu items.
For example, Partners Coffee has released its limited-edition Black Sesame Cold Brew Latté to celebrate the Lunar New Year, while Han Dynasty LIC will be offering a Special Sichuan Menu throughout the month.
Several local businesses will also be offering Red Envelope promotions throughout the month, honoring the Lunar New Year tradition of giving loved ones money in a red envelope. Otis & Finn Barbershop will provide customers with envelopes after checkout, offering up to 15% off haircuts, up to 40% off products, or free merch, while Chi Chicken will also be offering a range of discounts in its red envelope promotion.
Paris Baguette and Taste Créme will also be offering customers a chance to win a range of promotions and rewards with their red envelope specials for the next month.
Photo by Ramy Mahmoud
LICP President Laura Rothrock said the annual Lunar New Year celebration aimed to foster local connections while also “supporting our local businesses and showcasing LIC as the thriving, inclusive and vibrant destination for residents and visitors alike.”
Won, who is originally from South Korea and is the first Asian-American to hold the 26th Council District seat, said Friday that events like the LICP’s Lunar New Year celebration offer critical support to local small businesses that may be struggling.
“For our local small businesses, it’s been a little bit of a struggle, especially since the pandemic,” Won said. “But I know that with all of your support, by visiting every single one of them and continuing to promote them, we will be able to have longevity for all of our small businesses.”
Won also noted the changing demographics of Long Island City, stating that the Asian community accounts for roughly 40% of the neighborhood’s total population.
“That’s huge. Long Island City didn’t always look like this.”
Gonzalez, meanwhile, said the Lunar New Year celebration performed the dual function of supporting local small businesses as well as promoting Asian culture and heritage in Long Island City.
“So many of them (small businesses) represent a lot of the diversity in the neighborhood. It’s really important for us to make sure that they’re thriving and know that they’re welcome in our in our community,” Gonzalez said after Friday’s launch event.
Mamdani, who co-sponsored a bill in the state legislature recognizing Lunar New Year as a statewide public school holiday, said the launch of LIC’s Lunar New Year celebration showcases the cultural diversity of LIC and New York City.
“I think that this celebration today, these activities, it is all part of making it clear to everyone in this room, in this neighborhood, in this city, that to celebrate Lunar New Year is also to be a New Yorker,” Mamdani told the audience Friday.
Photo by Ramy Mahmoud
Valdez, on the other hand, said the 2025 Lunar New Year celebrations were especially important because the neighborhood is facing an “administration that wants to say who does and does not belong in our communities.”
“By being here with you all today, by all of us celebrating the year ahead and hoping for prosperity, what we can say together is that everyone belongs, that we have the resources for every single person in our community,” Valdez said.
Won additionally spoke of the dangers of a touted NYC Council bid that aims to significantly increase what third-party delivery apps are allowed to charge restaurants for marketing services. New York currently limits delivery app commissions to 23%, including 15% for delivery, 5% for marketing and 3% for credit card processing.
However, Int 762 aims to increase that cap to 43%, increasing the marketing cap to 25%. Won said the proposed bill would be detrimental to local businesses in Long Island City and urged attendees to encourage their local council members to vote against it.
“That’s soul-crushing for us as consumers and also for our local businesses who are going to have to pay so much for their food delivery,” Won told attendees. “It is not okay for our city, and it’s not okay for our consumers.”
Photo by Ramy Mahmoud
Photo by Ramy Mahmoud
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