News

NYC councilman aims to outlaw cash-free eateries

November 29, 2018

A New York City council member seeks to crack down on cashless restaurants, arguing that the increasingly popular business model locks out low-income consumers who are un- or underbanked, according to a GrubStreet.com report.

Council member Ritchie Torres, who represents the 15th council district in the central Bronx, said he will propose legislation to impose a fine on any restaurant that doesn’t accept cash, according to the report.

Torres told GrubStreet that a payment system that excludes customers who don’t have a smartphone with an e-wallet, or who lack access to a bank card, is inherently racist and classist.