NJBIA, State Chamber Calls
For reopening of N.J. businesses. It appears that deferring to industry experts and local officials for COVID-19 reopening decisions is the proper process, except when it comes to the reopening of our businesses. On Monday, Governor Murphy deferred decisions on fall sports to the NJSIAA, saying that, as experts, they know best. And, last week, the governor and the state Department of Health released guidelines for school reopenings, using data from six regions to inform local decisions and deferring to local health officials and school districts as the experts because ‘no one size fits all. There is no reason why the same approach embraced by the DOH for informing local educational decisions can’t be used for ending the extenuated pause on our businesses.
Murphy Issues Warning
After 5 Jersey Shore Bars break COVID rules. Gov. Phil Murphy has called out another Jersey Shore bar for breaking coronavirus orders. That’s five now that have run into trouble within just the past week, and Murphy says he’s ready to shut them down if they don’t comply with health rules. The Headliner in Neptune became the latest target of Murphy’s ire for allegedly violating social distancing guidelines and not following other safety protocols. “We will not hesitate to take action against those who think they can revert back to bad practices after a week or two,” Murphy said. Last week, Murphy warned he was ready to shut down three bars and clubs if patrons didn’t engage in social distancing.
Sales at New York Restaurants Continue to Plummet
Without aid, according to survey. A majority of New York restaurants won’t be profitable without federal aid. In a survey of more than 625 restaurants across the state, the New York State Restaurant Association found that nearly 90 percent of restaurants say they won’t be able to make any profit in the next six months without government aid. The lack of aid will also exacerbate the number of restaurant closures in the state, according to the survey. Between April and July this year, more than 90 percent of the restaurants surveyed said they had experienced a lower volume of sales from the same time last year, and many said they had seen a more than 70 percent decrease in sales. The survey was conducted in the first week of August and follows on the heels of an intensified rate of closures since the start of August.
Pennsylvania Restaurants Feeling ‘Last Nail in the Coffin’
Restaurant owners hope for increased capacity, but it may not happen anytime soon. Sixteen days after he testified that Gov. Tom Wolf’s 25% cap on indoor restaurant seating was financially suffocating many Pennsylvania restaurants, the industry’s top spokesman said Thursday nothing has changed. It doesn’t seem like the restrictions imposed on bars and restaurants back in July will be going away or changing anytime soon either. All of Pennsylvania has had a resurgence,” said Governor Tom Wolf (D) Pennsylvania. “That’s why we’re doing what we’re doing right now. Pennsylvania was in a pretty good place.” “I took steps like with restaurants to restrict access to those things, and they have had an impact, and we are having fewer and fewer cases,” added Governor Wolf.
You Are Cordially Invited (or Not)
To our socially distanced wedding. Lara Eurdolian’s dream roof deck wedding with 160 guests in Brooklyn was planned for Sept. 26, 2020. But like thousands of couples, the coronavirus put an unexpected halt to her plans. “I still wanted to get married but I wanted to be sensitive to what people were going through,” said Ms. Eurdolian, the founder of Pretty Connected, a lifestyle blog and fashion accessory line. “Some have lost loved ones; others have lost their jobs. People have been traumatized. They’re concerned about their health and about traveling.” Experts share tips on how to adjust the wording of wedding invitations when hosting an intimate ceremony or celebration.
Food Pickup Pods
Are bringing restaurants to buildings. These last few months have accelerated the on-demand demand for another important purchase: food. Services like Uber Eats and Postmates have seen a huge spike in usage as restaurants remain closed and people continue to shelter in place. But despite how popular these platforms have become, the actual process of getting a food delivered hasn’t changed much since the first pizza delivery back in 1889. Drone food delivery has been discussed extensively over the last few years, but it seems that ground-based robots are a lot closer to reality. While they are useful for reducing contact amidst the pandemic, delivery robots have limitations. They require people to be ready at the right time to collect their food, just like a traditional food delivery person. Minnow, a company that makes food pickup pods solution relies on private lockers similar to Amazon’s, placed in an apartment or office building’s lobby or mailroom, that allow delivery people to leave food deliveries.
Congress Can Make a Deal
On coronavirus relief. Split the difference. That’s what Republicans and Democrats should do on Covid-19 relief. Compromise doesn’t always work. If one group wants to build a bridge and another doesn’t, there’s no point in trying to make everyone happy by building half a bridge. In the case of the stalled negotiations over “phase four” of the federal response to the pandemic, though, meeting in the middle is exactly what ought to happen. The biggest sticking points concern unemployment benefits and aid to state and local governments. In both cases, the Republicans are being too stingy and the Democrats too generous. Reaching an agreement should not be beyond their wits.
Landlords Lose Money When Restaurant Properties Sit Vacant
So why not give rent relief? Every day, David Helbraun feels like banging his head against the wall. A founding partner and chairman at Helbraun Levey, a New York City-based hospitality law firm with more than 1,000 clients in the city alone, the former entrepreneur and coffee bar owner is struggling to help restaurant owners desperate after months of COVID-19-related closures, restrictions, and income loss. The biggest obstacle, he says, is landlords who would rather see a restaurant space remain vacant, bringing in no money, than negotiate partial payments and rent relief for tenants. Currently, the firm is handling lease negotiations for more than 200 clients. “Why is this happening?” he says. “My gut tells me that the real estate market in New York is shark-infested waters, and the landlords who grew up and do business in these shark-infested waters have to be sharks themselves. You can’t reason with a shark. ‘Maybe you shouldn’t eat that seal, there aren’t many of them.’ No, they’re going to eat the seal.”
Did You Know?
What is deep cleaning and how restaurants are doing it during the coronavirus pandemic. Since the arrival of the novel coronavirus pandemic, restaurants have changed cleaning strategies to fight a new enemy. It’s often called deep cleaning, but what that means depends on the business. Larry Lynch, the National Restaurant Association’s senior vice president for science and industry, said it happens when restaurants bring in outside cleaning companies, often after a staff member has tested positive for the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease. Here are some key points about cleaning.
Employee Tip
Facing unmasked diners and sick colleagues, restaurant workers worry about safety — and their livelihoods. Workers’ fears are as individual as their situations. Some have loved ones who are immune-compromised, and they can’t risk bringing the virus home. Some have their own health issues that make them vulnerable. Some work in a part of the country where people don’t believe in wearing masks. Some worry their employers are not taking the pandemic seriously. Some have to interact with tourists who may be traveling from hot spots. Some also have enough savings to try to ride out the pandemic without stepping back into restaurants and bars. But some don’t have that luxury.
Bielat Santore & Company – Restaurant Industry Daily Alerts
A voice for our industry. If you are finding these now weekly bulletins informative and beneficial during this pandemic, we kindly ask that you write a brief Google review providing a vote of your appreciation. Simply Google “Bielat Santore & Company” and when the company name appears click the button on the right to write your review or; if you don’t use Gmail, go to Google Maps, type “Bielat Santore & Company” – Allenhurst, NJ into Google Maps; scroll down and you will see an option to leave a review.
A new and exciting update. Bielat Santore & Company’s publishes new E-Book, “100 Days of Darkness.” The E-Book is a synopsis of events that occurred over the first 100 days of the pandemic and how the firm rallied from within to help hospitality owners and operators.
Will the devastation and loss of lives triggered by the coronavirus usher in a “Great Awakening” in America?” While the United States of America is in desperate need of reformation, activists, anarchists and radicals are wreaking havoc in the streets demanding revolution in its place. Something must change! America finds itself draped in darkness. Look up America! There is a light.
Get your copy on the firm’s website; www.njrestaurantsforsale.com.