Lights Still Out in Little Neck Plaza

On a normal Tuesday, the parking lot in Little Neck Plaza would be packed with cars, with still more milling around vying for a spot. A dedicated group of mahjong players would fill the tables at , and families would be noshing on Italian food at.

On this Tuesday, however, the lot is largely empty, and all the stores in the strip are dark. The mall has been without power since the weekend's storm knocked it out on Sunday, with Taco Bell the sole establishment in the area that managed to keep its lights on. 

Danny Navi, the owner of , is staying open despite the lack of power, though business has been next to nothing.

"How can I do it? I have no credit cards, I have no lights in the store, I have no telephone so even if somebody called, if I'm open or not, I can't even answer. They think I'm closed no matter what." he said. 

Navi was told by Con Edison that power wouldn't be on until the end of the week (Patch's attempts to reach the power company were unsuccessful). He said he is unsure the extent to which his insurance will cover his loss of business, which, in addition to significantly slashed sales, also includes entire refrigerator cases of ruined stock. 

"I'm in the middle of nowhere right now," he said. 

Next door, Centre Pizza employees were busy trying to clean up and salvage what they could of their inventory. Customers periodically came to the door, only to be told that they would have to sate their pizza cravings elsewhere. 

John Castelli, a manager at Centre Pizza, said he estimated they'd lost between $40 or $50 thousand dollars so far.  

"I don't know, man. It's been three days already," he said. 

Meanwhile, employees at Denny's Childrenswear were trying to maintain business as usual. With no perishables to worry about, Denny's didn't have to fret over loss of products, and customers continued to browse the darkened aisles, apparently unfazed. 

"I think people are troopers," said Michelle, a Denny's manager who declined to give her last name. "The employees came in with flashlights. There's just no coffee." 

Would-be Plaza patrons continued to turn out in droves, peering into store windows before walking back to their cars, dejected. Taco Bell, whose manager declined to comment on the restaurant's good fortune, had a healthy gathering of people at lunchtime. 

But just a few doors down at Panera, a group of women puzzled over the locked doors. 

Rosalie Rothnagel, who comes from Kew Gardens each Tuesday for her weekly game of mahjong, stood with two friends, wondering why the doors were closed and what would become of their game. Phones were produced from purses and calls were made in attempt to reschedule.

But despite the glitch in her social gathering, Rothnagel remained in good spirits. 

"Nothing ruins my day, honey," she said. "I'm retired."