We must support Hospitality…

The hospitality industry is missing the thing that helps with Government funding, a lobbyist. Sad but true.
Everyone in the restaurant/food industry should get Government funding to provide relief.

Emily put together a fantastic post that I reposted below on how to help and what you can do. I plan on doing a bunch of these things below today. Things are only going to get worse. The post doesn’t look the same on WordPress but Emily is writing about this daily and you can subscribe here.

Each day is darker than the last for small businesses and the hospitality sector at large. Restaurants—and their 15 million-plus workers nationwide—need a ton of help, and the sad truth is that individuals can only do so much. Take it from Derek Thompson in The Atlantic:

There is only one solution to this problem: The public sector must step in and play consumer for several months, until the virus passes.

“The actual human beings who make up the hospitality industry simply will not be able to survive this disaster, and it is unconscionable that the people in charge, so far, seem willing to simply let them become casualties of the crisis,” writes Chris Crowley of Grub Street. Don’t get me wrong; we’re not entirely powerless. On Eater, Hillary Dixler Canavan puts matters starkly yet reiterates:

This is not to say that diners shouldn’t do their part immediately to help support these businesses. Order delivery while it’s still widely considered safe to do so; order more than needed to up the check average; tip generously; buy gift cards for future use; buy restaurant merch online; reschedule prepaid reservations rather than requesting refunds. If you have the money, consider stepping up like NBA players and personally transferring wealth directly to restaurant workers.

The Government Must Help

Leaders within the industry are speaking out emotionally and begging for action. Here’s Sean Feeney, co-founder of Grovehouse Hospitality (Lilia & Misi) on both the gravity of the situation and what he and his partner Missy Robbins are doing to provide some semblance of relief and hope for their teams—including an opportunity for employees to share in the restaurants’ profits once they’re allowed to re-open their doors again.

seanbfeeney

We ask for your support. @lilianewyork@misinewyork@misipasta .

Camilla Marcus (west~bourne) asks us to spread the message. David Chang, who has taken his activism to Twitter, says call your representatives—because as Pete Wells makes note of, restaurants are in danger of being ignored.

camilla.marcus

t h e s t a t e o f h o s p i t a l i t y

days have felt like years for each of us… but what’s clear is that we could be on the brink of something graver than we could have imagined even last week. we call on the federal govt and this country to act on a national level. we do not have time and progressive action is not the right course.
we are amongst the largest private employer in the country. millions of people and in turn their families are losing their livelihoods. for how long is anyone’s guess. the following is a start for triage: ~ most of us pay business interruption insurance which we are being told only covers a physical event; this pandemic is the exact black swan event out of our control we believed we were being protected against so confirming coverage is critical
~ suspension of sales and payroll tax full stop
~ rent relief across the board, free rent plus shifting to percentage of sales rent at least until year end; many of us have landlords unwilling to negotiate or compromise without federal intervention, sadly the norm not the exception
we are not a nationally organized industry like so many others, but it’s clear we cannot do this on our own, one by one. to every influencer who loves f+b, please use your platform to share and elevate this ~ this is the content that needs to be spread right now. MARCH 17, 2020

Dave Chang@davidchangIf you work in restaurants or care at all about the hard working individuals in the industry: please call your Representative and your Senators. You can be connected to the capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 Demand that we are part the federal stimulus plan #toosmalltofailMarch 17th 20201,109 Retweets3,051 Likes

Pete Wells@pete_wellsSomething’s missing from this list. Jeffrey Stein @JStein_WaPoSpecial federal relief now on table 4 following industries: — Casinos — Cruiselines — Airlines — Hotels — Oil & gas (enacted) The next congressional package — on which work began today — will be where all this is expected to be fought out https://t.co/kbhv1NOlXyMarch 17th 202057 Retweets258 Likes

So let’s raise our voices and call for bailouts. Simultaneously, we can help restaurants immediately by engaging with their latest efforts to stay afloat and put money into their staffs’ pockets.

Makeshift Markets

Here are some of the more creative approaches I’ve seen today, from Anton’s “Dollar Menu” in favor of gratuity money to Guerrilla Tacos’ “Emergency Taco Kit,” which includes four rolls of toilet paper.

antonsnyc

We’re trying to get creative in providing for our team and community, as well as preventing unnecessary food waste. At this moment, we’re carrying some exceptional, yet perishable ingredients in our walk-ins, and it would be a real shame for this all to go to waste. More importantly, we desperately want to take care of our kitchen team by getting them into the safety of their homes as soon as possible, while creating some meaningful earnings for them in these next few days. Starting this evening from 4-8pm, and resuming tomorrow from noon-8pm, we’re offering a selection of our premier dishes as part of a close out “Dollar Menu”. Every item will cost exactly $1 and we ask that you leave a gratuity to help compensate our cooks and porters. 100% OF GRATUITIES WILL GO DIRECTLY TO OUR KITCHEN TEAM. These are our signature dishes, made with heart and every possible precaution, for a city that can use it, for one dollar. Our hope is that you’ll order your way through this menu while showering the kitchen team with love. We don’t want to send our hard-working crew into the unknown times ahead without a little something extra to carry them through. Order by phone 212-924-0818 and you can opt for no-contact pick up or donation of the food to our local community. The Dollar Menu is now posted on our website. #StayIn#HelpOutMARCH 17, 2020

gjustabakery

Until we can open our dining room again…we’ll be here daily as Gjusta market, working to keep supporting our farmers and staff while providing the types of nourishment needed most now, including baskets of market produce, eggs, fresh bread, cooking staples, and family style meals (our regular menus are also available for pick up or delivery.) ⁣
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We’re restocking everything daily — stop by between 7am-10pm to pick up at Gjusta and follow here for the most up-to-date information…⁣
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Our regular menus are available to for takeaway at GTA, Gjusta, and MTN: ⁣
Order GTA + Gjusta for pick-up or delivery with Uber Eats and Door Dash⁣
MTN is available for pick-up only as a phone order from 12-7pm: (424) 465-3313. ⁣
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Thank you for sharing @adambiceMARCH 17, 2020

thefatradish

Come and get food! To all our hospitality friends who lost so much the last few days, stop by today @theorchardtownhouse 10-4p & Wednesday @thefatradish 10-4p and stock your fridge with our full walk-in. We have fresh fruit, veggies, dairy, AND plenty of sanitizer and gloves! Sending everyone lots of positive vibes!MARCH 17, 2020

malaproject

Staying indoors and stocking up? Order our quarantine food to spice up your pantry now at MALATOME.COM.

Simply choose your sauce ($12/Jar) and complete with noodles ($8/box) and we will ship within 24 hours to anywhere in the U.S. Shipping fee varies based on where you live.

Sauce comes in 4 flavors — five spice tofu, soy pork, spicy beef, spicy mushroom. Can be put on noodles, rice, eggs, pancakes, stir fried veggies, with

dumplings, toast, bread, or however you’d like! 1 jar of sauce can be used for about 5 meals; keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks; keep in freezer (may affect texture) for up to 2 months, heat up before using if frozen.

Noodles comes in dry wheat and glass noodles. 1 box of dry wheat noodles is good for 4 bowls of noodles; cook in boiling water for 2 minutes till al dente.1 box of glass noodles is good for 4 bowls of noodles, store up to 1 week, heat up in boiling water for 30 seconds before using.

Order our quarantine food now at MALATOME.COM. We ship anywhere in the U.S.
For regular dry pot delivery/pickup, order on Grubhub, Seamless, UberEats, Caviar, Postmates, DoorDash, ChowNow, Ricepo, Ritual, and Checkmate.

#staywell#quarantinefood#malaproject#nyc#coronavirus#bestrong#quarantine#beresponsible#malatome#chinesefood#eatwell#socialdistancingMARCH 17, 2020Lucas Kwan Peterson@lucaspetersonGuerrilla Tacos selling a mega taco kit — tossing in some toilet paper for good measure March 17th 20201 Like

As NYTimes California restaurant critic Tejal Rao importantly points out, not all restaurants have a social presence. Let’s not forget about those mom-and-pops, which many of us frequent. As throughout the rest of the industry, the people who run them live to serve us and need our help—even if it’s just a dose of human interaction, the knowledge of our support.Tejal Rao@tejalraoso many restaurants are struggling that you won’t hear about — they’re not selling merch or gift cards, they’re not on social or delivery apps, they can’t adapt to these changes fast enough. But you can pick up the phone and ~call~ your local places to check in, and order takeoutMarch 16th 2020199 Retweets582 Likes

Purchase Directly From Suppliers

A chef friend of mine tipped me off that Chef Collective NYC, a family-owned and operated business that no longer has restaurants to supply to, is going direct-to-consumer. They sell awesome cheeses plus eggs, milk, olive oil, and charcuterie; the pricing is lower than you’ll find in any store; and they’re delivering to Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. I can assure you from the email I read (which I’m happy to forward) that they’re taking impeccable food safety and sanitization measures. Find their offerings HERE and call or text 646-481-2851 or email [email protected] to place an order (by 11 AM for same-day delivery).

Raid The Cellars!

New York State relaxed its rules on alcohol sales, which means you can now purchase wine directly from some of the city’s best cellars—and at retail price. How fun!

Two examples are The Four Horsemen (pick-up) and Frankies Spuntino (through Caviar). The amended law requires restaurants to sell at least one food item alongside booze, so be sure to grab a jar of Chef Nick Curtola’s granola from the former and a frozen Sicilian pie via the latter.

Industry & Employee Relief Funds

• Food+Tech Connect created a collaborative Google sheet of resources and organizations providing support to those in need and is offering free job postings to anyone looking to employ people impacted by the pandemic (use code “coronavirusfoodjobs”).
• Eater put together a list of relief funds and so did TASTE. These posts are being updated in real-time.
• Restaurant owners are setting up relief funds for their employees, including Grovehouse (Lilia & Misi), Bernie’s & Frankel’s, and Matter House (Estela, Cafe Altro Paradiso, & Flora Bar). Check social handles and websites to see if your favorite spots are doing this, too.

Be well, everyone. And if you see or have any updates, ideas, or ways to help, keep sending them my way. This fight is far from over.