Video by Yasmeen Persaud | Apr. 29, 2021

When the pandemic hit the core of New York City in March 2020, 32-year-old Bibi Bethune’s restaurant’s doors shuttered along with many other beloved restaurants across the city. Her Queens neighborhood of South Ozone Park has been hit hard; as recently as three months ago, the 15.81% test positivity rate was the highest in the city. The neighborhood still continues to have a higher case rate than all of NYC, as of April 21.

This video shot last month explores how Bethune has kept her business alive through the darkest days of the pandemic, amid ever-changing safety regulations, by finding creative ways to stay connected to what is normally a vibrant, boisterous community, even building her customer base by hosting a cooking show called “Cook, Sip and Chat.”