Friday Special
“The Legislature loves to say they want to help small business,” said Jot Condie, president of the California Restaurant Assn. “But it becomes irksome after a while when you see no follow up.”
– John Myers
News Analysis: Amid coronavirus crisis, an unsatisfying end for California’s Legislature, LA Times. September 01, 2020.
Labor
How much should you be tipping during coronavirus?
San Francisco Chronicle 9/3 It’s a strange time for restaurant tipping, a vague American custom that has only gotten vaguer with the extreme conditions of the pandemic.
Food Industry Policy
San Francisco holds off on permitting indoor restaurant dining
Restaurant Business 9/3
Despite getting a go-ahead from the state to reopen restaurant dining rooms, San Francisco officials have decided to keep indoor dining suspended indefinitely, frustrating one of the nation’s most celebrated markets.
Restaurant owners growing restless with disparate state opening plans
Restaurant Dive 9/3
As of this week, California is allowing 19 counties to resume limited dining-room service. This plan does not include the Los Angeles market, but San Diego and Napa Valley are included.
Business Owners Question New Contact Tracing Mandate
KPBS 9/3
Businesses are reopening their indoor operations this week, with some restrictions. And this time, businesses are required to take contact information from customers in the event of an outbreak.
On the Side
French Laundry Launches $850-Per-Person Indoor Dining ‘Experience’ Fit for a Bond Villain
Eater, San Francisco 9/3
Even in the least pandemic of times, Thomas Keller’s critically cherished Yountville restaurant, the French Laundry, was a luxury affair, at around $350 per person to start.
The Grill Master Bridging the Gap Between Barbecue and Mexican Food
Eater, San Francisco 9/3
On a recent Saturday afternoon, Aaron Stewart was posted up inside the Good Hop bottle shop in Oakland. His setup included all the familiar trappings of a mid-pandemic pop-up: a big stack of plastic takeout containers, a face mask close at hand. He offered COVID-conscious elbow bumps to customers he recognized.
Burger King Unveils New Restaurant Design Shaped By The Age Of Covid-19
Forbes 9/3
Traditional fast food restaurant formats may be endangered due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Burger King today unveiled new restaurant designs in response to the crisis, the latest in a string of similar announcements from several limited-service concepts.
So you love a restaurant. Are you morally obligated to buy takeout right now?
San Francisco Chronicle 9/3
I haven’t had a latte since March 12th. I’m not complaining, merely stating a fact of my coronavirus life. Pre-pandemic, I purchased one every day.
Best Practices for Outdoor Dining All Year Long
Modern Restaurant Management 9/2
Outdoor dining is still top of mind as owners want to keep employees and customers safe and have questions about maintaining outdoor spaces in inclement weather.
Two Critical Elements of a Post-Pandemic Recovery for Full-Service Restaurants
FSR Magazine Sep. 2020
As the pandemic has stretched on, it’s become abundantly clear that once COVID-19 has waned, the “normal” that we’ll all be living in will be very different from the “normal” we experienced pre-pandemic.
