Labor
Restaurants Warn Fast-Tracked Wage Increase Would Cost Jobs, Stall Recovery
FSR Magazine 2/16
When it comes to minimum wage and the always-testy $15 debate, there’s a solid consensus among restaurants regarding one fact in particular: Menu prices will rise if rates do. But would that be enough to absorb higher labor costs during a COVID-19 recovery stretch? The National Restaurant Association isn’t so sure.
Hospitality industry snags $18 billion in latest round of Paycheck Protection Program
San Antonio Current 2/15
While $18 billion seems like a hefty sum, members of the National Restaurant Association and the Independent Restaurant Coalition say it’s just a drop in the bucket. The pandemic has cost U.S. restaurants and bars more than $240 billion dollars in sales since March, according to the two groups.
Food Industry Policy
California State Senator Bill Dodd Introduces To-Go Cocktails Sales Bill
Sierra Sun Times 2/15
Last week, Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, introduced legislation that throws a lifeline to California restaurants struggling to survive the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic by allowing them to sell to-go cocktails as part of take-out and delivery food orders.
San Francisco’s Chinatown fights to survive
San Francisco Chronicle 2/15
Well before the Bay Area shut down, America’s oldest Chinatown experienced reduced business and xenophobia. With thousands living in single-room-occupancy hotels and legacy businesses on the brink of closure, the neighborhood is fighting to survive.
On the Side
Massive tree crashes into SF restaurant parklet
KRON4 2/15
A massive tree tumbled into a San Francisco restaurant’s makeshift outdoor dining space on Monday morning.
How to Control Your Restaurant’s Narrative During COVID-19
QSR Magazine 2/15
Communication with guests right now may seem like a daunting task. The ways restaurants are interacting with everyone has been changing constantly for the past few months. Finding the voice of your concept is different for every restaurant but should share common factors such as empathy and safety guidelines that every guest is looking for when they enter. These tools can help your restaurant maintain control of your narrative and establish community traction.
