Labor
Restaurant Workers in Los Angeles Can Apply for a One-Time $800 Stipend
NBC 4 12/7
The Secure Emergency Relief for Vulnerable Employees, or SERVE, offers a one-time $800 stipend to restaurant industry workers.
Food Industry Policy
National Restaurant Association Steps Up Pressure On Congress For Aid
Restaurant Business 12/7
Restaurant casualties will soar past the current 110,000 closures–17% of the industry–without immediate relief, the group warns.
California coronavirus shutdown will last through Christmas as deaths explode past 20,000
Los Angeles Times 12/7
For millions of Californians, the COVID-19 pandemic will provide a most unwelcome gift this Christmas: a wide-ranging shutdown imposed as the state grapples with its most massive and dangerous surge in infections and hospitalizations to date.
In a 4-Month Sample, D.C. Traces 14 Percent of COVID-19 ‘Outbreaks’ to Restaurants
Eater, Washington DC 12/7
The D.C. government has released a new set of COVID-19 data — the first to arrange clusters of cases by setting — that shows restaurants and bars are among the most common environments where the virus spreads.
State judge demands evidence to uphold ban on outdoor restaurant dining in LA
Southern California Record 12/7
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James Chalfant declined to sign an order that would uphold a COVID-19 ban on outdoor dining Wednesday and instead asked health officials for evidence as to why the prohibition should remain.
Tempers flare as Southern California restaurants push back on outdoor dining ban
Los Angeles Times 12/7
The last hurrah of outdoor dining in Pasadena arrived on Friday evening. Diners seeking what would likely be their last on-site meal of 2020 filled restaurant and bar patios along Colorado Boulevard, with lines forming outside many businesses. Some, such as the modern French bistro Perle, became so busy that staff members began asking customers to give up their tables after 90 minutes in order to seat waiting guests.
California town deems outdoor dining space ‘public seating’ after COVID restrictions
The Sacramento Bee 12/7
A California town reclassified all outdoor dining as “public seating areas” following the county’s announcement of enhanced COVID-19 restrictions.
On the Side
San Gabriel Valley restaurateurs are determined to make their businesses work, even with mounting losses
KCRW 12/7
Jason Tsai knows what it’s like to have his business stifled by the pandemic. “Popping Yoke is a brunch spot. It’s not designed for to-go, so it wasn’t really working,” Tsai says while sitting in the back patio of his restaurant on Main Street in Alhambra. “Nobody is coming over here for an egg benedict to-go … or a mimosa to-go. They want dining.”
Subway Names Chef Paul Fabre SVP of Culinary and Innovation
QSR Magazine 12/7
Subway announced Monday that Chef Paul Fabre has joined its culinary and innovation team as Senior Vice President of Culinary and Innovation. Fabre will focus on menu improvement and innovation and the introduction of new and craveable offerings.
Making it Through the Winter, from the Perspective of a Restaurant Owner
FSR Magazine 12/7
In fall, the National Restaurant Association reported that nearly one in six restaurants (representing nearly 100,000 restaurants) closed, either permanently or long-term. Before COVID-19, December was a critical month for many restaurants with end-of-year corporate parties and holiday events. This year is quite the opposite.