​On Wednesday, February 11, the Queens Chamber of Commerce—the borough’s oldest and largest business association—announced Arepas Café as the winner of its inaugural Queens’ Best Soup Competition. The competition, which launched on January 9, invited locals to nominate and vote for their favorite spots serving up bowls of the winter favorite, with the beloved Astoria staple emerging as the champion.
 
“Congratulations to Arepas Café for being named Queens’ Best Soup,” said Tom Grech, President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “This inaugural competition was a celebration of the incredible culinary talent and cultural diversity found across Queens. From traditional comfort soups to bold new flavors, the passion and creativity of our local restaurants truly shined. We’re proud to spotlight a small business like Arepas Café that brings warmth, community, and delicious flavor to the borough.”
 
“We are truly honored to be named Queens’ Best Soup,” said Riccardo Romero, Owner of Arepas Café. “This recognition means so much to our team, because every bowl we serve is made with love, tradition, and a deep connection to our community. Soup is comfort, culture, and care — and we’re grateful to everyone in Queens who supported us, voted for us, and continues to show up for small local businesses. Thank you to the Queens Chamber of Commerce for creating this special competition and for celebrating the restaurants that make this borough so unique! Remember, life is better with a bowl of soup.”
 
Elected officials representing the area weighed in on the win.
 
"'No soup for you' is a phrase that you will definitely not hear in Queens, which is extremely proud of all the establishments across the borough that serve up hearty and tasty soup to their eager customers,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. ”Of course, only one soup purveyor can be said to offer the best soup in Queens. Congratulations to Arepas Café in Astoria on winning the Queens Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural Best Soup Competition. I encourage everyone to ward off this persistent chill by enjoying some of Arepas Café's warm and delicious soup."
 
"Congratulations to Arepas Café for winning Best Soup in Queens! Thank you to the Queens Chamber of Commerce for putting on this competition and all the New Yorkers who partake in this tradition,” said Senator Kristen Gonzalez.
 
“Congratulations to Arepas Café for winning first place and I Love Paraguay for winning second place in the Queens Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Best Soup’ competition,” said Council Member Julie Won. “My district is lucky to have both restaurants share their culture and love for community with us through their homemade, authentic food.”
 
In total, residents nominated 20 businesses for this contest. The top three businesses selected by the public were:

1. Arepas Café (Astoria)
2. I Love Paraguay Restaurant (Sunnyside)
3. Good Taste Restaurant and Catering (Cambria Heights)

 
In addition to earning the title of Queens’ Best Soup, Arepas Café received a plaque and a complimentary year of membership to the Queens Chamber of Commerce. The second and third-place winners also received certificates.
 
This is the 13th “Best of Queens” food competition. Prior contests settled debates over the borough’s best pizza, burgers, halal, empanadas, barbecue, tacos, frozen desserts, bagels, pad thai, tavern, bakery, and deli.
 
​​Press release available for download, below. 

Today the Queens Chamber of Commerce celebrated U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s successful effort to secure $1,500,000 in federal funding to support the creation of the Queens Chamber of Commerce Cyber Academy. The Cyber Academy is a new workforce development initiative that will prepare Queens residents for the digital economy and strengthen cybersecurity capabilities for government and local businesses.
 
“In partnership with local institutions of higher education, businesses, and industry partners, Tom Grech and the Queens Chamber of Commerce are playing a pivotal role in developing high-quality career pathways for Queens residents, while directly addressing the local business community’s workforce needs,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I’m proud to have secured $1.5 million in federal funding for the Queens Chamber of Commerce to launch the Cyber Academy, which will provide robust educational, training, and credentialing programs for New Yorkers and connect them with local internships and jobs in cybersecurity, technology, digital infrastructure, and related industries. As a member of the Senate Appropriations, Armed Services, and Intelligence Committees, I’ll continue fighting for federal resources to create economic opportunities for New Yorkers, build out our cyber workforce pipeline, and strengthen our nation’s cybersecurity capabilities.”
The Queens Chamber of Commerce Cyber Academy will train and prepare workers for the digital workforce and help secure government and business’ invisible borders. Through partnerships with government, industry, and eight Queens-based colleges and universities, the Cyber Academy will create robust training and credentialing programs focused on higher paying, middle-skill career paths.
The Cyber Academy will also develop a pipeline of digital job opportunities with Queens businesses for Queens graduates, ensuring local talent can connect directly with in-demand careers in cybersecurity, technology, and digital infrastructure.
In addition, the program will support Queens colleges and universities in developing reskilling and upskilling programs that are responsive to the needs of Queens businesses and the increased demand for technology skills across industries.
“Senator Gillibrand’s investment in the Cyber Academy is an investment in Queens’ future workforce and economic competitiveness and reflects their continued commitment to expanding economic opportunity in the borough,” said Tom Grech, President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “This initiative will create new pathways to high-quality careers for Queens residents while helping local businesses meet the growing demand for cybersecurity and technology talent. We are deeply grateful to her for delivering this critical federal support and for her continued commitment to ensuring Queens remains a leader in the rapidly evolving digital economy. We thank Senator Gillibrand for championing this project, as well as Senator Chuck Schumer for successfully negotiating this critical funding bill.”

​​Press release available for download, below.