Independent Restaurant Owners Call on Congress
For dedicated COVID-19 aid. Humanitarian chef José Andrés is partnering with celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern and others to call on Congress to provide immediate and long-term aid to independently owned restaurants. The chefs have launched the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC) with a mission to “to save the local restaurants affected by COVID-19,” and are asking the public to help them lobby the federal government for dedicated loans, grants and tax breaks. While IRC founders still need to work out details of their request, in broad strokes, they’re asking Congress to make the following changes to the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law on March 27.
Small Restaurants Ask Congress for $120B
In virus grants. Hundreds of independent restaurant owners joined together Wednesday to urge Congress to give them $120 billion in grants to keep the industry alive during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying loans offered under the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program aren’t helping them. The owners met online with industry leaders and celebrity chefs such as José Andrés and Naomi Pomeroy to support the newly formed Independent Restaurant Coalition’s demand for the $120 billion stabilization fund. Their drive to lobby U.S. lawmakers to help what was a $1 trillion industry of 500,000 small eateries nationwide comes as they now face the potential loss of 11 million jobs and a predicted 80% business closure rate if funds don’t come through soon, they said.
5 Steps Restaurants Should Take
Before bringing back staff. Before restaurants consider reopening their dining rooms, experts say operators should review payroll practices, rehire based on seniority and develop ways to monitor employee health. As more states ease dining room restrictions, restaurants will need plans like these to properly bring their employees back and ensure they minimize employee and diner exposure to COVID-19. Several restaurant experts weigh in on employee and food safety issues that operators should keep in mind before and after they bring back furloughed employees to make sure they stay safe.
Governor Murphy Signs Executive Order
Reopening State Parks and Golf Courses. Governor Phil Murphy today signed Executive Order No. 133, reopening state parks and golf courses, and restoring the authority of county governments to determine whether county parks will be open or closed. The order takes effect at sunrise on Saturday, May 2. “We understand that New Jersey residents want to get outside and get some fresh air as the weather warms up,” said Governor Murphy. “However, this should not serve as an open invitation to rush back to normalcy and break the necessary social distancing measures we’ve put in place. This approach will also bring New Jersey in line with our neighboring states, which will discourage residents from needlessly crossing state lines for recreation.”
Did You Know?
“Restaurant Rap” series doubles-up this week. Due totheexceptionally positive response received thus far, Bielat Santore & Company’s “Thursday Restaurant Rap” series is providing a second interview of the week today. Following the “Tuesday Edition” with restauranteur Alan Meinster, today’s “Restaurant Rap” features an exclusive interview with Mario Margriplis, owner and operator of Charley’s Ocean Grill, Long Branch and the Blue Swan Diner, Oakhurst, NJ. This series appears each Thursday within the company’s Restaurant Industry Alert daily bulletins. It presents recorded virtual video interviews with local restauranteurs and other industry professionals, many of whom are the firm’s clients, customers and associates.
All previously recorded interviews can also be found at our website www.njrestaurantsforsale.com/news/ and on at https://vimeo.com/bielatsantore.
Employee Tip
A new normal is coming to the workplace after the pandemic. Whether you’re still working your pre-pandemic job or are contemplating what job you’ll be able to find once this crisis subsides, you (like everyone) are likely looking forward to the day that business gets back to normal. But that “normal” almost assuredly will be very different than it was before the virus hit. A few industry pros share their predictions about what the workplace of the not-so-distant future will be like. Here are a few of the things they’re seeing in their crystal balls.
Bielat Santore & Company – Restaurant Industry Daily Alerts
New restaurant industry survey. Beginning next Wednesday, May 6th, Bielat Santore & Company will conduct a survey of restaurant owners and operators throughout the NY-NJ-PA metropolitan area, emphasizing the challenges the industry is facing during COVID-19 pandemic.
The firm will donate $1 dollar for every valid survey response it receives to the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC). The Independent Restaurant Coalition was formed to save the local restaurants affected by COVID-19. “Our firm is committed to working with the active community of restauranteurs and hospitality operators, many of whom are our clients, to help with the rescue and reopening of their industry,” states Richard Santore, Partner in Bielat Santore & Company.
Look for the survey to appear in next Wednesday’s Restaurant Industry Daily Alert, as well as on the company’s website at www.njrestaurantsforsale.com/news/ and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/123BSC/. In addition to the company’s monetary donation, if enough survey responses are submitted, Bielat Santore & Company will publish a comprehensive report compiling the results of the survey for distribution.
A voice for our industry. If you are finding these daily 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.
Thank you and remember all of the “Restaurant Industry Alerts” and “Thursday Restaurant Rap” interviews can be found at www.njrestaurantsforsale.com/news/. We intend to continue to keep you informed as we all look for an end to this crisis.
