Labor
Food Delivery Apps Are Booming. Their Workers Are Often Struggling.
The New York Times 11/30
Delivery drivers have been essential to feeding New York, while boosting sales for companies like DoorDash and Uber. But they say work conditions have gotten worse.
Study: New COVID Restrictions Could Permanently Close A Third Of US Restaurants
PYMNTS 11/30
According to FT, the Independent Restaurant Coalition reported that one in six U.S. restaurants already has closed for good — and the number that have closed due to COVID-19 could grow to one-third by year’s end. The National Restaurant Association cited U.S. Census Bureau data indicating a seasonally adjusted decline in restaurant sales in October — the first slippage since the industry began to claw its way back from the damage inflicted by the first wave of shutdowns.
Food Industry Policy
Optimizing Your Restaurant for the Takeout Boom
QSR Magazine 11/30
As consumers seek out more contactless dining options, restaurant drive-thrus and curbside delivery services are seeing a boost in popularity. According to research from The NPD Group, drive-thru visits increased by 26 percent in the second quarter of 2020 (April-June) and represented 42 percent of all restaurant visits during that time frame.
Restaurants fight COVID restrictions
Axios 11/30
Restaurants in several states — including Kentucky, Illinois and California — are staying open and defying restrictions, as states try to manage skyrocketing coronavirus cases and hospitalizations with more safety measures.
On the Side
Goodbye ‘New Normal.’ These Restaurant Trends Will Change Everything (Again)
FSR Magazine 11/30
It might be time to retire the tag “new normal.” COVID-19 has splintered the restaurant landscape far too long to simplify challenges without a nod to the future. As much as things shifted in regards to consumer behavior and operator response, the pandemic is likely more an era than a “new normal,” so to speak.
Long Beach mayor proposes $5 million to help restaurants, bars and breweries
Long Beach Post 11/30 In the wake of a countywide ban on in-person dining to slow the alarming surge in COVID-19 cases, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia on Monday proposed a $5 million “resiliency fund” that would aid struggling restaurants, bars and breweries.
