Asbury Park, NJ Shelves Plans to Allow Indoor Dining at Restaurants
In defiance of State guidelines. Public health experts say Asbury Park’s plan to allow indoor dining would have boosted the risk of coronavirus infection for patrons and staff. For now, the option is off the table in Asbury, as a judge on Friday issued a temporary restraining order barring Asbury Park from lifting the ban on indoor restaurants. Outdoor dining, which is scheduled to begin statewide Monday, will be allowed. Those who study food safety and disease transmission were skeptical of the original plan announced Wednesday for Asbury Park to allow indoor dining if eateries are limited to 25% of capacity or 50 people, whichever is less.
NJ Business Coalition Urges Faster Reopening
Following One Jersey Pledge. The New Jersey Business Coalition released the following joint statement today urging the faster reopening of businesses that can currently meet safety protocols. “We are at a pivotal time regarding the livelihoods of New Jerseyans and their ability to provide for themselves and their families. “Thousands of our businesses are struggling to survive, and are clinging to every last resource they have attempting to make it to their prescribed reopening date, with many not having one yet. And even then, they’ll face great challenges due to smaller capacities in which they will be required to operate.
Survey Finds Business Owners Eager to Reopen
Concerned about consumer confidence. The administration of Gov. Phil Murphy released results of an online survey conducted in conjunction with Rutgers University’s Heldrich Center for Workforce Development earlier this month that drew responses from nearly 4,000 businesses and non-profits across the state. Results of the survey demonstrate overwhelmingly that while the business and non-profit community is eager to get back to work, owners understand and take seriously the public health risks posed by COVID-19 and the responsibility to provide a safe experience for employees and customers. Many worry about the effect of a possible second wave of the virus. A majority of owners (51%) cited consumer confidence as the most pressing issue, while 13% cited access to personal protective equipment as their biggest concern. Approximately one in 10 said employee confidence would present the biggest challenge to reopening while four in 10 listed employee confidence as one obstacle but not the most pressing one.
Senators Call on Trump Administration to Simplify PPP Loan Forgiveness Process
Responding to concerns from businesses and lenders that the form is complex. Senators on Friday urged the Treasury Department and Small Business Administration (SBA) to simplify the process for businesses to receive loan forgiveness under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Every member the Senate Democratic caucus signed a letter encouraging Treasury and the SBA to streamline the process, arguing that doing so would be particularly helpful for the smallest and most underserved businesses. “In this public health and economic emergency, we must do all we can to make sure our small businesses have the support and assistance they need to weather the crisis,” they said in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza.
Insurers Fight Off Small Biz Claims
Over coronavirus losses. US property and casualty insurers have cast the coronavirus pandemic as an unprecedented event whose massive cost to small businesses they are neither able nor required to cover. The industry has warned it could cost them $255 billion to $431 billion a month if they are required, as some states are proposing, to compensate firms for income lost and expenses owed due to virus-led shutdowns, an amount it says would make insurers insolvent. Only about 40 percent of small firms have business interruption coverage, according to the Insurance Information Institute, and most of the policies explicitly exclude pandemics, according to Tyler Leverty and Lawrence Powell, professors who specialize in insurance at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Alabama, respectively.
Surprising Good News and Silver Linings
Since the pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic has no doubt raised many fears and caused much uncertainty, but it has also given people many reasons for optimism. Although news about spikes in new COVID-19 cases may be somewhat discouraging, there are certainly good trends emerging from the epidemic. As the world is tiptoeing back to life, people are finding that social distancing, online schooling, and working from home may be here to stay. While the virus has closed hundreds of businesses all over the U.S. — here are 21 industries being devastated by the coronavirus — it has helped other businesses thrive and it has shown alternatives to the old normal.
Did You Know?
Governor and Mary Pat Christie launch New Jersey 30-day fund. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and his wife Mary Pat Christie have launched the New Jersey 30-Day Fund to help businesses in New Jersey affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The Fund, modeled after a successful Virginia program, the VA 30-Day Fund, will provide $3,000 forgivable loans to businesses owned and operated by a New Jersey resident. Companies must have between three and 30 employees. The application process is simple and quick, and businesses will get an answer on their application in three days. “Mary Pat and I have heard so many stories of hard-working New Jersey residents who have been financially devastated by this horrible disease,” said Governor Christie. “Our hope is to quickly provide some financial relief to help those businesses who need it most.” The New Jersey 30-Day Fund has been established as a partner of the Virginia fund started by Pete and Burson Snyder, which is a qualified 501(c)(3) non-profit.
Employee Tip
9 things servers and bartenders might never do again after the pandemic. Going to a bar or restaurant could be a totally different experience after the pandemic. Bartenders and servers will most likely be required to wear gloves and masks during their shifts, and things like shareable drinks and non-disposable menus could be a thing of the past. Other commonplace items like unwrapped straws and loose silverware could disappear after the pandemic. As many bars and restaurants nationwide begin to reopen their doors to customers and dine-in service, you might be surprised by the things bartenders and servers can never do again.
Bielat Santore & Company – Restaurant Industry Daily Alerts
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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.
Get your copy of the Restaurant Reopening Playbook. Bielat Santore & Company has formed a task force comprised of multi-unit restaurant operators to collaborate on ideas, procedures, strategies and goals as they relate to the preparation for and the reopening of restaurants and other hospitality-based businesses in New Jersey. The Mission of this “task force” is to provide a collaboration of knowledge, expertise and innovative thinking from some of the industry’s most reputable restaurant operators, that will yield a strategy for all independent restauranteurs to follow, assisting all in the transition back to “business as normal.” No one person will have all the answers, as there are so many things to consider. Safety is an important concern, but just as important is the entertainment aspect of the business. Many customers are not going to want to be eating out without the social benefits that restaurants and bars provide. Furthermore, many will not be interested in wearing masks or having their temperatures taken. Restaurants are not going to be profitable having to operate with a dining room that is one third empty. We need to work together not merely for survival, but for success!
