Payag Restaurant
Aug. 1, 2017 By Nathaly Pesantez
Payag, a well-known Filipino restaurant located at 51-34 Roosevelt Ave., is closing and is up for sale.
The abrupt announcement came July 27, when the restaurant owner posted her plans on Facebook.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announced officially the closing of Payag restaurant,” part of the message reads.
The text is accompanied by images of the restaurant’s interior and exterior, and with a message pointing to the politics of the owner.
“The place that touched so many Filipinos & strongly support Pres. Duterte,” part of the overlaying message reads.
Although the announcement was abrupt, Rena Avendula, the owner of the restaurant, said she had been thinking about closing shop for a while after becoming embroiled in a lawsuit against a former business partner, which led to her business being bashed by people who weren’t on her side, and after her pro-Duterte stance alienated some of her customers.
“Financially, I’m affected,” Avendula, 50, said. “I feel it’s a wise decision to go in a different direction.”
With the restaurant wrapping up its last day of service on July 31, Avendula has no plans for opening another restaurant or business, instead taking this time to recover from the controversies that have plagued her business.
Payag restaurant opened in 2010, and became a well-known gathering spot for Filipinos.
“I just want to thank them that they were there throughout the years,” Avendula said of her patrons. “The restaurant has helped so many Filipinos.”
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89 Comments
this entire lobby-level karaoke restaurant was a front for her upstairs business (Filipino visa fraud). she’s been indicted and will be jailed for the next 10 years. I think the politics are a red herring, distracting from her ultimate demise. https://sunnysidepost.com/owner-of-woodside-employment-firm-that-served-filipinos-busted-for-visa-fraud-da
Sad to see someone’s business close, but I must say I am not surprised. Foxy’s diner, Venturo, El Norteno and now Payag — the food to put it simply, was not competitive. I have been living in Sunnyside for three years and I must say the food scene here offers little to a sophisticated palate. It is improving, but is still far behind Astoria and LIC. There are 2-3 decent places, but otherwise it is fryolator central here. Over time it will get better, I am sure.
UNITED STATES RULE!
EFF GUAM!
F the Phillipines. Guam rules!
Fired from that lame ass band journey,?
Pretty, pretty, bad
Even the band journey got rid of the Philippine singer
AH HAHAHAHA SO FUNNY!!!
Why don’t you Philippine people talk your political crap somewhere else. This is about a restaurant closing . So shut up. Tali wakka ding ding put a puta!!!Most of all you pinoy, you should be called pinoy annoy!@@!@@!@@! Gettatahere
Dapat ipasara yan.dahil ang values at sinusuportahan nyan ay murder at no rule of law.Dui yan ang pinaninindigan ng American people sa bansa nila.
Wow, the comments here are straight up stupid.
I was born in the US and used to hate Duterte over Western news reports that called him out as a killer. Twas my activist-ish mindset. Later, I then moved to his city as a teenager, under the mayorship of his daughter- even went to school with his son. It was here in Davao that I found a totally different story contrast to that which was reported by the West. Local opposition media teaming with opposition parties recycled those lies and replayed them during the 2016 elections, making people think he’s killing off everyone. They even mistranslated his “puntangina” remark as if he said “putangina mo” towards Obama, which was NOT true. So many lies. Goodness. FYI, investigations have been going on for a long time and nothing turned up. In fact the one making all the noise about him being a murderer is being traced to drugs, hence is detained at the moment.
What’s really happening are operations asking people to surrender. Others have fired at the police thus end up dead. The random killings though have been going on before Duterte.
ISA PA ITONG TANGENGOT! Mahirap talaga pag nagbubulag-bulagan, lumalabas ang kahinaan ng utak.. that is, if you have one.
Heto ha basahin mo ng maigi para tumino ang lugaw mong utak. THE STOOPID PRESIDENT DUTERTE HIMSELF ADMITTED THAT HE WENT INTO A KILLING SPREE WHEN HE WAS A MAYOR, GOING AROUND THE STREETS OF DAVAO IN HIS MOTORCYCLE, “LOOKING FOR TROUBLE”. So now your blaming the media colluding with the opposition reporting these lies where in fact the mayor said so himself? Jeez Jonathan Watson, you really read FAKE NEWS!
By the way, your PWEsident idol is the #1 drug addict in the Philippines.
Blablablablabla, blablablablabla, blablablablabla, blablablablabla,
Blablablablabla, blablablablabla, blablablablabla, blablablablabla so on ,so forth. Please no more Philippines stories
Stoopid? Really.
Nice country, the mayor, who became president, kills people. Maybe itll work here? 3rd world slum country.
Philipenes is a 3rd world country.
Food here is great 5 stars
Pinoy you don’t know anything. If you don’t like it here in America you can leave. Bye bye so long tard. You are tard.
Dutae is anti-American and your doing business in America to earn for a comfortable living .tapos pro Duterte ka ..KSP ka
Jeeze !!! If Avendula a true Duterte supporter she shouldn’t drag Digong on this matter. Even before the election your resto is already slow, your other businesses failed cause you are such a sucker.
Those Filipinos who don’t support Pres. Duterte should looked how the bad the Phil.was under Arroyo. We shd be thankful to have a president who was courageous enough trying to eradicate drugs & these drug lords. Nobody wanted to do that job except him. I applaud him because this powerful drug lords cannot buy him with their bribes. Those who don’t want to support him are very selfish and ignorant. Don’t you know how bad our youth have become because of drugs. Even public employees are working efficiently no more red tape.
The Philippines introduced to the world a new type of governance. It’s called, Budol-budol Governance.
Hahaha…..amo na ya William! Utoy utoy ko kadlaw ah!
Kung walang mga DDS events matagal na kayong sarado dahil wala naman talagang masyado kumakain dyan! Bakit di na lang mag sabi ng totoo na lugi talaga! Wag na manisi pa ng kung ano ano..
ganyan talaga ang pagbi-business,..,me ups and downs,..makakabawi ka rin; i go for the advice – do not mix politics with business; personal allegiance to certain politicians should not be revealed in your menu don’t give customers the slightest idea of who you support; politicians near and far your location won’t support business once they win or lose because clinging to their position is their business; you have to mind your business. no one else.
What about those 1.7 million surrenderees, don’t you even care for their well being..what if their habit wasn’t stopped, what do you think would happen to them. Can they be useful as citizens as you and I are. Imagine an administration who turns a blind eye to the drug problem..when have you seen these number of people trying to go straight and given the chance to straighten their lives. How lucky you and I are since we ‘re not into Shabu. I know there is always collateral damage in a war, but compare the 1.7 million lives saved vs those that were killed. Try to look at the other side of the coin – what about these families who had members killed by drug users or m members who are mentally destroyed by these drugs..do you care for them as you care for those that were killed?
Do you think it’s really working? Look around you, if you’re really in the Philippines…
Check your data, please make sure it is not taken from Mocha Uson or Duterte News Fans CLub. The last time i check, IDIOTERTARDS are a big FAKE NEWS Licker. It feeds their insanity.
This idiot lady restaurateur is losing her business due to her allegiance to a criminal and psychopath leader.
Puli ka di sa aton kag magbaligya ginamos kay kagaga sa imo. Gaga guid.
Hahaha….. utoy utoy ko kadlaw sa imo William! Amo na ya!!!
hahahaha namit guro ginamos. hahaha gane man Nong gaga man gid, by the way taga Lapaz ka? heheh basi paryentihanay kita.
hahahaha ambot lang
Hugot lang nga pagtuo nang ah…katibawag gid ka na.
Invite the 16m
Serves all supporters of ejk right. Not only in NY but all over the world. They have been apparently drugged by this evil entity’s pseudo charisma without even taking one. Bloodthirst surely runs in their systems like vampires. The supremo is gulping the blood of Filipinos everyday.
Ignorant people who doesnt even live in the Philippines must shut up including those Filipino bastards who abandon their country for their own ambition!
Your stupidity sickens me! Im from chicago and yes i worked hard to earn my fair share of the american dream so dont you ever say im a bastard for the properties i invested and my hard earn greens i sent my family everymonth is doing its thing keeping ur country afloat you rotten SOB. Fools who think they did enough for their country by staying, ignorants who thinks Du30 is their salvation. You make me vomit.
Haha American idiots who dont live in the Philippines including those Filipino bastards who left the country to get out of poverty must shut up! You even escape from your own country and now that someone who truly cares to clean up the mess is standing up you’re pretending to care? You’re even selfish and coward fools to abandon your nation! Except of course for those who truly cares for our country even if they’re far.
Isa kang uto-utong TARD. Kawawa ka naman nagpapa-uto ka sa mayor na walang alam. Ilan na sa mga pinangako ng katay digong mo ang natupad???? Isa pa lang! Ang pumatay ng tao.
Eff the Philippines
Now ask urself..was it a good decision to be a DDS..haha
Philippine is in bad shape and it also affected ur business..
Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you an IDIOTERTARD who just happened to comment on my post. Now you know the nincompoops who voted for the most incompetent Philippine president. 16 million nincompoops. The sad minority.
May God bless the Philippines ?
so basically these woman is saying that 16 million Filipinos are nincompoops and shes not? ew
popularity doesn’t mean right. lol.
https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFallacies/40/Appeal-to-Popularity
Mel want to go out to eat with me?
I’m in love with you Mel. Al from Sunnyside. You are so beautiful.
Mel I want to take you out and treat you like a queen. How about dinner? Al
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Mel I liked your post ,6times, Id love to treat you to dinner. At a nice restaurant.
She said NO no no no what don’t you understand El loco?
Mel go out with the guy already. He loves You. ?????????
Als right. Your hot!
Mel if you won’t go out with al, how about me. All is right your nice and hot. Hot hot hot!!! I like what I see. How about we skip dinner and go straight to my place? Let me know my little Filipino baby
Sad you have a failed logic. I guess you’re an idiotertard as well.
Why support the most incompetent president the Philippines has ever had? That mayor kills alleged drug users and yet he is the #1 Fentanyl addict in the country! What a nincompoop!
shut up! your not a filipino by heart then, stay in NY with your so called “american friends” stupid!
This must be pinoy, very angry
Who are u to judge pres duterte? U dont even know the real things going on in the Philippines. U are so presumptuous. What is the basis for ur judgment? Visit the philippines & talk to the right persons, the grass roots. Then & only then can u make proper judgment. Dont be fooled by the elite or oligarch in the philippines who have manipulated the media to protect their vested interest.
“U dont even know the real things going on in the Philippines. U are so presumptuous. What is the basis for ur judgment?”
^_____
I fully recommended you to visit this very website for REAL ANSWERS. A website that is ACTUALLY run by Foreign Expats, who ACTUALLY lived in the Philippines, FOR YEARS, and ACTUALLY SAW EVERYTHING.
http://www.philippinefailblog.com/
Dear Anonymous August 3, 2017 | 6:55 pm,
The funny thing is, you are the one living in the Philippines, AND YET YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW THE REAL THINGS GOING ON IN YOUR COUNTRY!
STOP BEING A BLIND FANATIC!
Anonymous is DEAF NOW TOO BECAUSE OF YOUR ALL CAPS
I’ve been a few times. It’s fine, if a bit overpriced. If I had known the owners supported Duterte, I would not have gone. But even before Duterte, it had been frequently empty.
Either way, there are plenty of other Filipino spots in Sunnyside and Woodside that have better food and don’t advertise their terrible politics. This won’t be missed.
GO TO DAZIES ON QB /BETWEEN 40ST&39PL- 45 YEAR ANNIVERSARY- $24 A PERSON. VERY GOOD FOOD- ASK FOR RAY
GOOD GUY
I KNOW
Who does Ray support for the president of Philippines though?
Ray still thinks Gerald ford is president
George is a clown
I don’t like this place.
Just go away already. Your food sucks
Mahina na yang Payag noon pa kahit wala pa ang Duterte campaign. Lahat ng banda ayaw na sa kanila..
True
Easy for you to say
Mabuti nga sa iyo. This is a perfect example of karma for supporting a murderer. Am proud of you New Yorkers for fighting what is right for not tolerating evil! I was a New Yorker once, lived in Brooklyn and I know what is in the heart and mind of a New Yorker .. we are not stupid and are vocal. We fight for what is right! Thank you New Yorkers!
I have been living in New York for years and I can’t still imagine what is in the heart and minds of New Yorkers. But you ONCE lived in Brooklyn so that gives your the right to generalize a very diverse city I guess?
I know what’s in their minds. craziness and insanity! the sane one leave for greener pastures. haha!
I would not support anyone, group of friends or otherwise if they are supporting the killings in the Philippines, a total disregard for human life.
lesson must served, troll
Close already
This dump has been closed for weeks now not since yesterday you guys need to get the facts straight. Replace it with a bagel shop and call it a day.
Why pledge allegiance to Dutarte? It’s not like he’s ever gonna know that a restaurant in Woodside supports him.
I always thought he was kind of a jerk to be honest.
And you are absolutely correct. he is a certified “jerk” & “nincompoop”.
True Dictatuta Digong may not care about this pathetic resto in Queens but what is key here is lessons learned and message to those who support evil!
Don’t support an EJk & a China Puppy who doesn’t love Philippines!!!
I don’t support Anonymous like you. Once a troll always be a troll.
Who cares
Of course you and I care. if ain’t you haven’t posted in the first place.
You posted, so you cared. M@r@n
Thank you for censoring your post
Never mix politics with a business.
How true. A lesson learned the hard way. Sayang
Depends on the business. Can be very lucrative if it’s real estate