Proposed Bill Would Reimburse Restaurants
For money spent on indoor dining false start. A bill that would reimburse restaurants for money spent on food and supplies in the days before restaurants were supposed to be able to open for indoor dining has been introduced to the Senate. On June 29, three days before indoor dining was set to open, Murphy announced it would be postponed indefinitely. He cited overcrowding at outdoor dining areas and patrons not wearing masks as the reasons for the false start. Senate president Steve Sweeney and senators Vin Gopal and Anthony Bucco have sponsored the bill that would also reimburse bars and catering companies for the money they spent to gear up for indoor dining.
New Jersey Gives Contact Sports the Green Light to Resume
But you still cannot sit down inside your favorite restaurant and eat. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order Monday allowing the resumption of high-risk contact sports in outdoor settings only. The state will also try to keep track of people flying in from COVID-19 hot spots. Are you kidding me? Where is the logic? Where is the justice? Where is the empathy Mr. Governor? How in the world do you permit contact sports to resume in the wake of not permitting New Jersey adult residents the freedom to make their own decisions to contact their favorite restaurant and reserve a table indoors? The entire hospitality industry is dying a slow death; the anxiety of having “no date certain opening date” is a worse plague than the corona virus itself!
Nearly 16,000 Restaurants have Permanently Closed Since the Pandemic Started
And even more closures are on the horizon. Of the roughly 26,000 total restaurants that have closed in the last five months, 16,000 have been permanent, according to the report. The restaurant industry has been the hardest hit by permanent closures compared to other industries since the start of the pandemic. The share of businesses that are closing their doors permanently is continuing to rise. Although the numbers may seem grim, they’re far from some of the catastrophic scenarios predicted earlier on in the pandemic.
Restaurants’ Existential Crisis
Questions facing restaurateurs outnumber the answers. The restaurant industry is facing “an existential crisis,” according to a report from the Independent Restaurant Coalition, a national organization formed in March that counts Bernstein as a member. Laid-off restaurant workers are the largest category of the newly unemployed. The Independent Restaurant Coalition warns that without doing something big, “85% of independent restaurants could close permanently.” To fight the bust, the Independent Restaurant Coalition is calling for a $120 billion “Restaurant Stabilization Fund” that would dole out grants to restaurants as a bridge from now to whenever the impossible economics of the pandemic end. The idea has formed the basis for a congressional bill called the Real Economic Support That Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed to Survive Act, or the RESTAURANTS Act, which currently has 93 co-sponsors.
As Restaurants Move Outside
Heat becomes the enemy. Outdoor dining is bringing in revenue for operators this summer but it’s making the job extra-exhausting for employees. Amid the still-raging coronavirus pandemic and with many dining rooms closed or forced to operate at reduced capacity, restaurant owners around the country are capitalizing on outdoor dining to stay afloat. But those who must work outside say every shift is typically difficult and draining in the current environment of distancing and personal-protective gear. Some operators are finding ways to make the outdoor challenges easier on their employees. But there’s no way to completely erase some of the most difficult aspects, especially with temperatures soaring into the 100s in some parts of the country.
Reopening Design Strategies
Rebuild trust through visibility. While people are eager to visit restaurants again, many are concerned about COVID-19 exposure; building their trust will rebuild your business. The keys to rebuilding the business you lost during the pandemic shutdown are visibly letting people know you’re open for business again and communicating the steps you’re taking to keep them safe from the coronavirus. The more you can do to reassure your customers that you take COVID-19 and their safety seriously, the more likely they’ll dine on-premises.
Why Restaurants Need to Build a Safer Culture
In a Post COVID-19 World. To make it through this pandemic intact, you must reassure your two primary audiences – your employees and guests – that your restaurant is safe. First, demonstrate that you value your employees and consider them your greatest asset. Recognize that they’re anxious in these unprecedented times and prove that you’re providing a safe environment for them. Give them the PPE they’ll need to minimize exposure risk. Show them that you’re using chemicals proven to kill the coronavirus effectively. Allow them to remain socially distanced during their shifts. And give them a workplace that prioritizes a safe culture. Secondly, if guests don’t feel safe, they won’t come to your restaurant. And, to put it bluntly if you don’t have customers, your business won’t survive. Create a safe culture, and it will go a long way in boosting customer trust and loyalty, improving your brand reputation, and increasing sales. In this “new normal,” restaurants must identify, create, communicate, and demonstrate a safe culture. To do so, implement the following steps…
DoorDash Launches ‘Without Restaurants’ Campaign
To help ailing eateries. DoorDash today is launching a campaign to urge people to support independent restaurants that are suffering financial hardship during the coronavirus pandemic. The food delivery app’s “Without Restaurants” effort aims to remind people of how restaurants help people celebrate everything from post-game parties to birthdays, weddings and baby showers, per an announcement shared with Mobile Marketer. As part of the campaign, DoorDash started a social media challenge featuring celebrities who ask others to share their experience of how restaurants shaped their careers before and after they got famous.
Did You Know?
31 states now on NJ quarantine list. New Jersey has added Delaware back to its list of states from which travelers are required to self-quarantine for 14 days. Ten states were added to the list on Tuesday, bringing the total to 31. The advisory applies to any person arriving from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or a state with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average.
Employee Tip
The Coronavirus pandemic has decimated the restaurant industry. Here’s how workers can return to a fairer workplace. “One Fair Wage” — a full, livable wage for all workers with the ability to tip on top — a law that has now been adopted in seven states. Despite evidence that each of those states subsequently saw their restaurant industries grow in terms of sales and hiring, 43 states have yet to make the change, presumably because too many of their constituent restaurateurs could not imagine how to make a profit while paying higher wages to their front-of-house workers. Frustrated that tips could not legally be shared among all employees, and noting a continually growing wage disparity between the front and back of house, Danny Meyer created a unique model — “Hospitality Included” — in which tips were completely eliminated, and compensation for all employees was fully factored into menu prices.
Bielat Santore & Company – Restaurant Industry Daily Alerts
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A new and exciting update. Keep your eyes open for the release of Bielat Santore & Company’s new E-Book, “100 Days of Darkness,” scheduled to be published soon. Once a definite release date is established, you will be able to obtain a copy on the firm’s website, www.njrestaurantsforsale.com.