National Grid to turn on new Port Washington restaurant’s gas

Hyek Chen got the good news he’d hoped for.

National Grid will provide the gas connection to his new restaurant Narinatto, which when it finally opens, will serve Korean cuisine.

As LIBN first reported early in November, Chen had become among the recent casualties of the National Grid gas moratorium that was put in place in May.

But this week Chen said he heard from Sen. Anna Kaplan, who, according to a spokesman, had made his issue “an absolute priority.”

Chen also owns iDiner, a 10-year-old family-run restaurant on nearby Main Street in Port Washington that is popular with the locals. But that lease was ending, so Chen planned ahead, scoping out this next venture. Chen thought he’d done his due diligence. Aiming to close iDiner in time to open the new restaurant, he’d signed a lease for Narinatto in February of 2018, and began paying rent there as he prepared to get it ready for business.

Chen spent about 18 months methodically getting the permit and variance approvals he needed for the new space, before building it out. He would move his staff over to Narinatto, where the kitchen space was bigger, the rent was less costly and diners could also sit outdoors in the warmer months.

But in September, after the work on the new space was nearly completed, he reached out to National Grid to switch on the gas but was told there would be no hookup.

Now with word of the hookup from National Grid, Chen and his family can forgo any plan B, and get back into the business of opening the new eatery.

According to Chen, Kaplan remained a steady advocate for his business. And he said he got support from all of the elected officials, Democrat and Republican, when he reached out for help.

For Kaplan and her staff, the connection welcome news.

“Serving the people of our community is what I was elected to do, so when I found out about the difficult situation facing Mr. Chen, I did everything in my power to help,” Kaplan said in an email to LIBN. “I’m so thrilled that I was able to make a difference in this case, and I’m looking forward to eating a great meal at Narinatto as soon as they’re open.”

Last month, the state’s Public Service Commission ordered National Grid to reconnect the customers who had inactive accounts and applied for gas service but were put on hold by the company’s self-imposed moratorium.

However, though National Grid is now reconnecting its former customers, the company said that because of the “underlying supply issue,” service connection restrictions currently in place “must remain in effect for all other customers” who’ve requested new or expanded service.

As many as 3,700 customers on Long Island and in Brooklyn and Queens have been denied natural gas, according to published reports.

National Grid has been pushing for the Northeast Supply Enhancement Project, a $1 billion pipeline expansion by Williams-Transco, that the company says would increase natural gas capacity in the area by 14 percent, delivering 400 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. The utility insists that without it, a natural gas shortage is likely this winter, which is why it enacted the moratorium.

This week Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an ultimatum for National Grid: Either the provider ends the moratorium on new natural gas service, or its franchise will be revoked. Cuomo sent a letter to National Grid executives threatening to pull the utility’s certificate to operate its downstate natural gas franchise in two weeks.

In response to Cuomo’s letter, National Grid issued this statement:

“National Grid is in receipt of the letter from Governor Cuomo and will review and respond accordingly within the timeframe outlined in the letter. We continue to work with all parties on these critical natural gas supply issues on behalf of all our customers in downstate New York.”

Meanwhile, Narinatto can now focus on upcoming inspections from the building and health departments as well as the fire marshal.

A Facebook post from the restaurant expressed gratitude: “Thank you very much for all of your support and warm heart … We are so thankful to be in Port Washington.”