DC Is Not Likely to Mandate Proof of Vaccination for Restaurants
But the city is actively encouraging private businesses to make the move. Over the past week, San Francisco and New Orleans have joined New York City in announcing policies to require proof of vaccination for restaurants, gyms, and other indoor venues. But don’t expect DC to follow suit anytime soon. On the couple of occasions that Mayor Muriel Bowser has been asked about the possibility, she’s been non-committal but implied a mandate is not likely right now. “I’m not sure how effective that will be on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis. We don’t live in bubbles, and we certainly don’t live in a bubble in this region,” Bowser said in a press conference last week. In an interview with Washingtonian, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio was a little more explicit: “I don’t have a crystal ball, I can just tell you that’s not something we’re considering at this moment. We are, though, trying to figure out how more employers can make it a requirement.”
There Won’t Be Another PPP Loan in 2021
But other programs can help. The SBA (Small Business Administration) isn’t planning another round of PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loans. Still, other programs are available to help your business recoup revenue lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act passed in Mar. 2020, PPP loans were meant to provide needed relief to businesses faced with shutdowns during the pandemic. The loan program intended to help businesses continue to pay their employees, even if they had to shut their doors. After administering over $798 million in loans to over 8.5 million small businesses across the country, the PPP loan program ended on May 31. The program was running out of government funds before then. There were two “draws” from the PPP loan program, and some businesses that were approved for the second draw are still waiting to receive funds. The SBA says those loans will continue to be funded.
Businesses Pray for Hiring Boom
After fed unemployment benefits expire. Federal unemployment benefits are slated to end Sept. 6 — that includes Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which provides benefits to workers not typically eligible for unemployment benefits; Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), for people who have exhausted their state benefits; and the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), which provides the weekly supplemental $300. Those benefits have been a lifeline for furloughed or laid-off workers during the pandemic. What happens when they lift? James Hughes, a Rutgers economist studying the effects of the pandemic, said he does not expect an overnight hiring boom. “There’s simply a lot of possibilities and a lot of unknowns. We thought we’d be able to make nice, easy forecasts,” he said, “but recovery is never smooth and even.”
Policing NYC Fake Vaccine Cards Burdens Restaurants
As FBI warns of booming black market. New measures requiring proof of vaccination to enter restaurants, gyms and other aspects of public life in New York City and elsewhere are putting a burden on private businesses already beleaguered after COVID-19-induced lockdowns to police fraudulent vaccination cards, as the FBI has sounded the alarm over the growing black markets for such counterfeit inoculation passports. The vaccination requirement for New York City indoor dining, entertainment and fitness facilities isn’t supposed to take effect until the week of Aug. 16 – though Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday applauded some 30 business that already voluntarily started requiring proof of vaccination at entry. Enforcement will begin Sept. 13. In a recent criminal complaint by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, photos show how the fake vaccination cards closely mirror the real cards issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which show the type of vaccine and date of inoculation handwritten by a medical provider. Because it’s easily copied, there’s a push to digitize.
The Next Frontier for Restaurants’ Off-Premises Growth
The restaurant of the future. The buzz phrase of 2020 for the off-premises-focused restaurant industry still reeling from the global COVID-19 pandemic. Now, store redesigns increasingly emphasize ease of customer experience with tech rollouts like Panera’s geofencing technology and Taco Bell’s smartphone-operated food pickup cubbies. The next part of the post-pandemic restaurant makeover? Robots. While AI and automation are certainly nothing new to the industry (Flippy the fry cook robot debuted four years ago and Domino’s has been testing out AI capabilities for a long time), these technologies are making the leap from gimmick to gold standard as off-premises demands grow and the industry’s labor challenges continue. With the restaurant industry labor crisis ongoing, operators are finding new ways to survive the employee slowdown, including investing in artificial intelligence. Testing of AI-powered drive-thru lanes began before the pandemic, with both KFC and Dunkin’ piloting checkout-free automated drive-thrus powered by AI in 2019.
How to Get Repairs and Maintenance Under Control
The deck is stacked against restaurant operators. For one, there is the labor crisis that is forcing brand leaders to get creative in order to find new employees. Then there is the fact that the industry lost 20 percent of its revenue last year, as was widely reported, but now diners are flocking back to restaurants ill-prepared for their presence. The list goes on but suffice to say running a restaurant has never been more difficult. These challenges, and others, have forced operators to take a fresh look at ways to build efficiencies into their business model. One reason Daniel Estrada, the CEO of 86 Repairs, is confident that his company’s repairs and maintenance tech-enabled service has been a part of the solution for restaurants during this difficult time is because of the fact that when revenue was down last year, his company’s retention rate remained sky high, checking in at over 99 percent. In fact, 86 Repairs doubled the number of restaurant clients it works with year over year from the beginning of 2020 to the beginning of 2021 and now takes care of repairs and maintenance for hundreds of restaurant locations across 37 states and counting.
Vax or Mask
Which indoor dining mandate leads to more lost business? Recent research suggests that restaurant owners are more likely to lose customers by requiring indoor diners to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination than by asking them to wear a mask until seated. Although the survey by Datassentials showed most diners would comply with either request – 68% would wear a mask and 51% would show vaccination proof – the risk of losing a customer’s business is significantly higher with a COVID-19 vaccination requirement. Nearly one-third of customers (30%) said they would walk out of the restaurant if asked to show vaccination proof. By comparison, only 13% said they would leave if asked to wear a mask. If the restaurant had a mask mandate, 18% said they would get the meal to-go or delivered and 68% said they would comply and dine in. If the restaurant had a vaccination mandate, 19% said they would opt for a to-go meal or delivery, and 51% would comply and dine in.
Restaurants Should Consider Employment Practices Liability insurance (EPLI)
Do I really need EPLI coverage? We’ve never had a claim, and we have a good human resources department.” Let me start by asking you this: Would you still buy homeowners insurance even if you’ve never had a claim? Of course, you would, because outside of the bank requiring it, you recognize there’s always the likelihood of something happening. Now back to the original question: Is EPLI still necessary even if you’ve never had a claim? The answer is ‘yes’ EPLI coverage should be viewed as a major component of any business insurance program. EPLI provides protection from employment-related claims and lawsuits brought against the company, such as discrimination, wrongful termination, sexual harassment and negligent hiring practices.
Did You Know?
Self-ordering kiosks: one solution to the current labor shortage. The food and beverage industry is on a hiring frenzy. With pandemic-related restrictions being eased and dine-in being allowed again, restaurant owners are in need of a lot of staff. The April 2021 Job Openings and Labor Turnover summary issued by The Department of Labor showed that restaurants added almost 350,000 new job openings since March, bringing the sector’s total number of job openings as of April to 1.34 million. However, finding people to fill these vacancies has been exceedingly difficult, creating a severe labor shortage in the restaurant world. A recent study by The Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that, despite regular hiring since this spring, the food and beverage industry still remains 1.5 million jobs (12 percent) short. According to a National Restaurant Association study done in April, 84 percent of operators surveyed said staffing was lower than required, with 47 percent stating that their staff numbers were more than 20 percent under the pre-pandemic levels. One of the most efficient ways to overcome the labor shortage problem is automation. Self-ordering kiosks dispense with the need for humans to accept orders and process payments.
Employee Tip
Biden administration says Covid-19 booster shots will start September 20. The Biden administration on Wednesday unveiled plans to begin offering COVID-19 booster shots this fall for Americans who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, eight months after they become fully vaccinated, as cases of the delta variant continue to spread across the country. Americans who are eligible can receive a third shot beginning Sept. 20, pending authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is expected in the coming weeks, according to a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services and other administration medical experts. Officials said they anticipate booster shots will likely be needed for people who received the Johnson & Johnson shot but acknowledged that they’re still collecting data as the federal rollout of the vaccine did not begin in the U.S. until March.
Bielat Santore & Company – Restaurant Industry Alerts
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Bielat Santore & Company sells the Garden State Diner in Wrightstown, New Jersey. The company recently has spent more time on the New Jersey Diner marketplace through one of its experienced real estate agents, “Diner Bob” Gillis. Currently, Mr. Gillis has (10) diners/breakfast-lunch cafés listed for sale from Sayreville to Brigantine, New Jersey.