Labor
Should employers report employees who don’t go back to work?
Marketplace 5/14
Another 3 million people filed unemployment claims this week, according to the Labor Department, adding to the enormous impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. workforce. The news comes a few days after the department said states and localities have an obligation to detect what the department called “waste and fraud” in the unemployment system.
Will Employees Actually Return to Restaurants?
QSR Magazine 5/14
One of the great enigmas of COVID-19, restaurants, and the Paycheck Protection Program, is how realistic it truly is for restaurants to rehire employees as they start to reopen.
Food Industry Policy
Proposed Law Could Allow Ailing California Restaurants to Terminate Lease Agreements
Eater, Los Angeles 5/14
A new California law could allow businesses — especially independent restaurants, bars, and cafes — more easily get out of their leases, providing relief to restaurant owners weighed down by the loss of sales amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Berkeley Will Fully Close Its Streets to Create Giant Outdoor Dining Rooms
Eater, San Francisco 5/14
Owners of the Bay Area’s restaurants agree on one thing: It’ll be damn near impossible to stay in business if their dining room capacity is cut.
Restaurants profit from looser alcohol regulations during coronavirus pandemic
Nation’s Restaurant News 5/14
With to-go beer, wine and cocktail sales thriving, will states revise rules on booze delivery, takeout and curbside pickup permanently?
On the Side
Denny’s says about 82% of U.S. restaurants are back in operation
Nation’s Restaurant News 5/14
Denny’s Corp. on Wednesday had about 82% of its domestic restaurants operating, most with takeout and delivery, streamlined menus and reduced operating hours, as the brand dealt with coronavirus restrictions, the company said Thursday.
10 ways California restaurants will be different when they reopen
The Mercury News 5/14
Restaurants in California are preparing to reopen their doors to customers as the state allows some counties to lighten their restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Starbucks asks landlords for rent relief through summer 2021
Nation’s Restaurant News 5/14
Starbucks has made payments in full to landlords during the COVID-19 crisis. But as stores begin to reopen with modified operations to maintain physical distancing, the Seattle-based coffee house giant has asked property owners for rent relief through summer 2021.
Off-premise: The rise of contactless ordering and curbside pickup amid COVID-19 offer keys to survival
Nation’s Restaurant News 5/14
With social distancing required as restaurants reopen, chains that make ordering safe will have the strongest chance to endure the aftermath of the pandemic.
McDonald’s Details What Dining In Will Look Like
The New York Times 5/14
The fast-food chain distributed a guide to franchise owners with instructions like putting “closed” signs on tables to promote social-distancing and cleaning bathrooms every half-hour.
