Labor
McDonald’s Workers Get Second Win on Virus Safety Protocols
Bloomberg 6/24
Three McDonald’s restaurants in Chicago must adopt Covid-19 safety measures related to masks and social distancing, a judge said in the second ruling this week backing worker attempts to sue for pandemic protections.
Food Industry Policy
Shutting down California was a challenge for Newsom. Reopening could prove even trickier
Los Angeles Times 6/24
Gov. Gavin Newsom stood in the state’s emergency operations center March 19 and announced an executive order that would change the course of California history, requiring residents to remain in their homes as the coronavirus spread around the world.
Hungry for more outdoor dining, Palo Alto to close University Avenue to traffic
Palo Alto Online 6/24
Emboldened by its recent success on California Avenue, the Palo Alto City Council moved Tuesday night to dramatically expand opportunities for outdoor dining elsewhere in the city, including on University Avenue.
Downtown Sacramento restaurant temporarily closed after employee exposed to COVID-19
The Sacramento Bee 6/24
The Melting Pot is temporarily closing its downtown Sacramento restaurant after discovering an employee may have been exposed to the coronavirus off the job.
Judge orders Oakland McDonald’s restaurant to remain closed after coronavirus outbreak
East Bay Times 6/24
A state judge has ordered a McDonald’s on Telegraph Avenue to stay closed until the court decides whether to order the owner to improve his health safety practices amid the coronavirus.
On the Side
In spite of everything, a fledgling restaurant looks forward to welcoming its first customer
Los Angeles Times 6/24
After two decades working in some of the world’s most demanding kitchens, chef Dean Yasharian was set to finally open his own restaurant in mid-March. Then the COVID-19 pandemic dashed those plans.
The Bay Area Book Festival Asks, Will Restaurants Survive?
KQED 6/24
The restaurant industry was already in an economically fragile state in the Bay Area, but COVID-19 has added a new dimension to that precarity. On the evening of Thursday July 2, the Bay Area Book Festival will host labor activist and president of One Fair Wage Saru Jayaraman, La Cocina executive director Caleb Zigas, and San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Soleil Ho, to answer the question: Will restaurants survive the pandemic?
It Will Take Years for the Restaurant Industry to Recover
FSR Magazine June 2020
A lot of correlations are drawn between the Great Recession and COVID-19 in terms of potential recovery. But there are considerable differences. For one, coronavirus is a global crisis. And more, it’s bulldozed “business as usual” for operators segment-wide.
Full-Service Restaurants Embrace Off-Premises Menu Innovation
FSR Magazine June 2020
How do you recreate an all-you-can-eat king crab and prime burger experience in the home of a quarantining customer?
How a Trio of San Fran Restaurants Survived the Crisis
QSR Magazine June 2020
Emerging concepts have been most vulnerable in the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s how a few in San Francisco—the U.S. city under lockdown the longest—have managed to remain afloat.
