Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced the appointment of Eric Thor as Executive Director of the Office of Nightlife, which operates within the Department of Small Business Services (SBS).
Thor will lead the City's efforts to support the workers, small businesses and communities that make New York's nightlife possible, from DJs and bartenders to security staff, promoters and venue owners. Thor will begin meeting with workers, business owners, and community members across all five boroughs to help shape the office's priorities.
His agenda will focus on improving conditions for nightlife workers, streamlining the permitting process for small events and strengthening the Coordinating a United Resolution with Establishments (CURE) program.
"New Yorkers work hard all week, and being able to afford a night out with friends is part of what makes this city worth living in," said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. "Nightlife is more than entertainment. It's good jobs, a lifeline for small businesses and what makes New York City the best place in the world to be out after 10 p.m. The workers and business owners who keep it going are left to navigate a bureaucracy that makes their jobs harder. Eric has spent years organizing alongside working people, and he will bring that same commitment building a nightlife economy that works for everyone."
"I want every New Yorker to be able to afford a good night out after a long week, and every nightlife worker to have a fair, safe job," said Eric Thor. "Nightlife is for everyone, from clubs to queer spaces to immigrant-run venues. A good night out should work for the people who organize it, the people who work it and the people who come to dance. It should be easy to start one in this city, not just for people who can afford lawyers."
"New York City's bars, nightclubs and nightlife venues are an integral part of our city's small business ecosystem, employing thousands of New Yorkers and generating more than $30 billion in economic activity across all five boroughs," said SBS Commissioner Kenny Minaya. "The Office of Nightlife at SBS connects those businesses with free resources and services, from NYC BEST to commercial lease assistance to affordable financing, while simultaneously fostering positive relationships with neighborhoods and communities through MEND and CURE. I am thrilled to welcome Executive Director Eric Thor to SBS and am excited to continue the work of maintaining New York City's position as the premier nightlife capital of the world."
"NY-7 is home to many of the city's most iconic bars, clubs, venues and lounges - and thousands of nightlife workers. I've organized alongside Eric for years," said Congresswoman-Elect Claire Valdez. "Whether you're unwinding on your time off the job or you're a worker who makes a night out possible, Eric will make sure you have a voice at City Hall."
"Nightlife is woven into the identity of the West Side, from the neighborhood bars and music venues of the Upper West Side to the bars and clubs of Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea, the West Village and queer venues and community spaces throughout our neighborhoods. As these small businesses face growing economic pressures, strong leadership at the Office of Nightlife matters," said State Senator Eric Bottcher. "I look forward to working with Eric Thor to support nightlife workers and business owners, and to ensure New Yorkers have a meaningful voice in shaping the office's priorities."
"What is New York City if not for its nightlife? The nightlife scene is not limited to the entertainment we immerse ourselves in but also to the incredible workers, venues and communities that are the industry's backbone," said Council Member Chi Ossé. "I am delighted to see Mayor Mamdani appoint Eric Thor as Executive Director of the Office of Nightlife, and I have the utmost confidence in his ability to strengthen ties among nightlife workers, small businesses and neighborhood establishments. His years of organizing will support our city's continued success in ensuring our nightlife economy is the best in the world."
"This is a really critical moment for nightlife in New York. The scene feels more alive than it has in years, and the Office of Nightlife deserves real credit for helping drive that. At the same time, like every sector in this city, nightlife is at risk of being swallowed by money that doesn't care about the culture or workers," said Michael Falco, Executive Director of the Queer Nightlife Community Center. "So, it's meaningful to have a leader whose starting point is the people who actually make nightlife happen: the workers, the collectives, the folks trying to build a life doing this. New York should be the nightlife capital of the world, and that means making sure the people who make it can actually afford to live here."
Thor lives in Astoria, Queens. He previously served as lead developer for LaborLab, where he built a searchable database connecting filings from the National Labor Relations Board and Office of Labor-Management Standards. He also spent 10 years building websites for Wine Spectator and has been active in community and electoral organizing with the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.
