Labor
Texas Roadhouse’s Pandemic Response Was Always About its People
FSR Magazine Dec. 2020
From executives donating salaries to safety protocols, the steakhouse giant has led with an employee-first approach.
Food Industry Policy
Backlash to Newsom’s lockdown order grows — rural communities refuse to comply
San Francisco Chronicle 12/10
Little changed this week at Steve’s Sportsmans Cafe, despite the new, far-reaching shutdown orders that cover much of the Sierra foothills.
Sacramento region’s ICU capacity falls below 15%. COVID stay-at-home order coming
The Sacramento Bee 12/9
The Greater Sacramento region will be placed under the state’s strictest shutdown order Thursday night, just before midnight, state health officials said.
Los Angeles County’s Outdoor Dining Ban Overturned
KSRO 12/9
A judge has overturned Los Angeles County’s outdoor dining ban. An attorney representing the California Restaurant Association, which successfully sued the county, says science didn’t support the ban.
Restaurants Get Whiplash From Reopening Back-And-Forth
LAist 12/9
For local restaurant owners and staff, the pandemic has been a long, traumatic rollercoaster ride. They’ve grappled not only with the baseline financial terror of possibly closing (for those that have even made it this far), but also with city, county and state orders that have forced them to close, open, close, open and close again.
California Towns Rebel Against Pandemic Restaurant Restrictions
The New York Times 12/9
Frustrated over an order to temporarily ban outdoor dining across Los Angeles County, many elected officials have fought back — with votes to form their own health departments.
On the Side
Black-owned restaurants kept me in the Bay Area. If they close, there could be a cultural exodus
San Francisco Chronicle 12/10
Looking ahead, I wonder how many of these popular Black restaurants and bars are going to be left after the pandemic. If these slices of Black culture never come back, it’s hard to imagine Black folks like myself will want to keep living here.
You May Not See Them, But Ghost Kitchens are Here to Stay
Forbes 12/9
For years, the restaurant industry has been rapidly transitioning to an omnichannel business model. The popularity of delivery apps such as Caviar, UberEats and DoorDash have spurred a growing delivery channel.
Apps Are Helping to Gut the Restaurant Industry
The New York Times 12/8
The sudden onset of the pandemic in March sent the restaurant industry into a death spiral. Working in a notoriously low-margin business, many couldn’t withstand weeks of limited or no indoor dining.
After Sales Dropped 86 Percent Overnight, How One Restaurateur Adapted to Survive
FSR Magazine Dec. 2020
James J. King treated COVID-19 as a catalyst to reinvent his restaurant group, Titan Hospitality. He even opened a fresh concept, Smashing Grapes Kitchen + Wine Bar, in a former Greene Turtle sports bar in September in Annapolis, Maryland.
