View Full Version : Bailout For The Restaurant Industry?
gimmethesimplelife
9-3-20, 7:20pm
Do you believe the restaurant industry should get bailed out? I do - for one reason only. The business has been a source of fairly easy to get employment employing untold millions of Americans for years. What could take it's place in terms of employment volume?
What do you think? Rob
To me restaurants have always been a luxury not a necessity. I would try to shift their employees to things like making PPE in factories until the pandemic is over, or picking crops since labor markets have been disrupted. These are also jobs that do not require formal education or clean criminal records.
It continues to puzzle me how some people who are very critical of others' behavior in the pandemic go out to eat regularly now. I can count on one hand the number of times our family went out to eat during the 18 years when I was growing up. It is NOT a necessity.
Do you believe the restaurant industry should get bailed out? I do - for one reason only. The business has been a source of fairly easy to get employment employing untold millions of Americans for years. What could take it's place in terms of employment volume?
What do you think? RobIt will be a source of easy to get employment again, the question is if the same players will be in the game. If the chains or the solo shops go under due to the government not letting them operate, they'll eventually be replaced by new players. As long as there's demand for a service, someone will fill it.
Restaurants are luxuries, and often live atop the backs of their workers.
I don't see spending a single dime from the public purse to come to their aid.
In my area there have been a few boom and bust cycles in the energy industry. Not just office workers but drillers and oil field workers. I've lived in a town that entered into some sort of rust belt scene when the town's steel mill laid most everyone off, and a small mining town that was reduced to t-shirt shops when gold mining went under. A lot of blue color and semi-skilled workers have lost jobs because of changing situations. I hate to seem harsh, but I don't know if it's the government's responsibility to come to the aid of the restaurants businesses any more than others.
ToomuchStuff
9-4-20, 1:40am
How would this industry bailout work? What entire industries could you use as an example?
Individual restaurants have been bailed out, via PPP loans. Also, what I know has happened, has lots of people have tried supporting their local businesses, rather then chains. Chain's have done all kinds of modifications to keep or increase their business, they adapt.
Teacher Terry
9-4-20, 2:06am
Americans won’t pick crops. It’s really hard work. Restaurants have always come and gone. It’s a tough business. Growing up we rarely ate out. People have more disposable income now than in past generations.
Americans won’t pick crops. It’s really hard work. Restaurants have always come and gone. It’s a tough business. Growing up we rarely ate out. People have more disposable income now than in past generations.
Like some of you I come from the generation that did pick crops. As soon as school was out, we picked strawberries and then we strung blue lake pole beans and when they were ready to pick we were there almost until school started again. Good times!
I think it is hard to pick and choose which businesses are "worthy" of government help. I am always amazed when a new restaurant opens how many people they say they will be hiring. I think with some government help many will weather the virus storm and should get part of the government help.
I was sad to see that from about day one "Sweet Tomatoes" (Souplantation) closed for good - being a vegetarian it was one place I enjoyed eating at.
Some local restaurants have opened an outdoor patio and doing quite well, I am told. Once the cooler weather comes, the story will be different.
I make a point, as someone mentioned already, of ordering takeout once a week from a local restaurant and this is sustainable, I believe, as they have modified the hours of operation to suit the demand for service.
iris lilies
9-6-20, 10:55pm
Some local restaurants have opened an outdoor patio and doing quite well, I am told. Once the cooler weather comes, the story will be different.
I make a point, as someone mentioned already, of ordering takeout once a week from a local restaurant and this is sustainable, I believe, as they have modified the hours of operation to suit the demand for service.
I would not assume it is sustainable.
We have members of the restaurant community on our neighborhood board who talk about their situation, and just because they’ve cut hours does not mean that they’re making money. They still have many of the same expenses that have not been cut. Rent for instance. Insurance. Advertising. Etc. . They are all hurting.
ApatheticNoMore
9-7-20, 12:44am
I doubt it's so much people have more disposable income as less time, I mean if we're comparing to people in the past that didn't even work full time, what kind of a comparison is that.
I think I really just go out/get takeout (and I seldom got takeout before covid) for a few reasons, saving time sometimes when I'm to tired too cook, but sometimes just wanting to get out of the house. So it's not that I can't cook perfectly good, often frankly better food, but that I'm so tired of these 4 walls, I want to hang out somewhere different, be in a different atmosphere, and yea hopefully tasty food with no effort is part of it! That is the restaurant experience. (but housewives or something of yesteryear never needed to just get out of the house, I don't know they must have lost their minds) If I want to save money, maybe I just go to a coffee place instead to get out of the house get a drink and maybe a pastry on a weekend. Anyway none of that applies with covid, I sometimes don't want to cook and get takeout, but there is no getting out of the house. Today too hot to go anywhere outdoors, too covid to go anywhere indoors. It's hiding in the house and reading with bf, ok got a take out pastry :).
Yea I don't know what should get govt help, except there was the PPP. I mean it's never going to be fair, airlines got a lot of bailout etc., who knows why. They could have subsidized payroll and controlled covid (like Denmark) and the economy would be in much better shape. However neither was done. I mean what should get the money were there any bills that could pass: states and cities.
I read an article a few months ago that hypothesized that many small local restaurants would likely go out of business because of covid, much the same way that most small local brewers went out of business during prohibition. After prohibition only a few big boys (annheiser busch, Miller, coors) remained. And those were beer drinkers’ only choices up until 15ish years ago. The article worried that covid was likely to do the same to restaurants, leaving us only with big chains once it is over Since they can weather a longer period of low earnings. I seriously hope that’s not the case but time will tell.
Interesting comparison that could hold true. The "big" brewery in my neck of the woods was really just a medium sized pre-prohibition regional brewery not unlike many breweries in the country. They adapted to the time by selling malted milk, yeast, malt syrup (for home brewers), and I think non-alcoholic beer. Being big may have been a factor, but they also adapted to the times.
Just ate at Red Robin today - felt very comfortable with the virus protocol and the Impossible Burger was very good!
Teacher Terry
9-8-20, 1:28am
Our 2 Red Robin’s used to be good but now the food is awful at both.
Just ate at Red Robin today - felt very comfortable with the virus protocol and the Impossible Burger was very good!
Are you a lifelong vegetarian? Or are you able to compare the substitutes to meat?
One of the looming threats for restaurants up north is the colder weather. All the restaurants that were able to at least make up some lost revenue with outdoor dining are going to be back in hard times in the fall. My DS's restaurant is all patio dining, and many restaurants in Burlington are planning to close in October. That will force them to be out of business for about 7 months. Who can sustain that?? It's so sad. DS saved enough money to get him through the winter, but it's not going to be easy. And who knows if his restaurant will even survive the winter?
I don't necessarily feel restaurants should get a bailout, but there are a lot of small restaurants that are going to go under.
Retrain restaurant workers to be wildland firefighters and social workers.
Retrain restaurant workers to be wildland firefighters and social workers.
Funny you say that--DS is thinking of going back to school to be a social worker.
Teacher Terry
9-13-20, 3:54pm
Bae, many people work in restaurants because they make great money and don’t need to go to college. M
ApatheticNoMore
9-13-20, 3:57pm
Bae, many people work in restaurants because they make great money and don’t need to go to college.
and meanwhile we probably don't want to pay people fighting fires much more than oh say the prison labor that was doing it before covid were getting (hint: not even minimum wage)
Funny you say that--DS is thinking of going back to school to be a social worker.
In my twenties I waited tables at the same time that my brother worked an entry level government job as a social worker after graduating. I recall that, counting tips, our wages were similar. Social workers are grossly underpaid for what they do. My brother burned out by 55 and retired with a comfortable retirement and health plan. He become a bit of a misanthropist for a while. I suppose it all depends on a person's personality and their job assignments. He had cases involving domestic violence and child placements. Then again, I've never been much on restaurant food and being waited on after my experiences.
I could have had such a job--they were commonly dangled before liberal arts majors back in the day--but I foresaw a life of counseling desperate people in the wilds of Coos Bay as a one-way trip to major depression.
The few social workers I knew were all misanthropists. I think I understand.
Are you a lifelong vegetarian? Or are you able to compare the substitutes to meat?
I have been a vegetarian for 20 years. I don't consume a lot of substitutes, and resisted the impossible burger for a long time, until I learned they could cook it separately.
I love it. Is like a "real" whopper, no - but again it has been 20 years! My wife is not a vegetarian, and she likes it.
When I eat a substitute I try not to compare it to what it is replacing - if that makes sense. It is just something "different" to have between a bun with lettuce, pickles, and tomato.
If I am stuck on having to have fast food, I would like another option besides fries.
When I eat a substitute I try not to compare it to what it is replacing - if that makes sense. It is just something "different" to have
That's my take with eating keto. There are so many recipes out there for "keto coffee cake" or "keto pizza" or "keto noodle soup" and none of them will fool anyone used to eating the real thing. I find it better to avoid most of those anyway; not ever having been a fan of sweets, that's not very hard but I'm also not into acquiring weird ingredients like sugar-free pancake syrup or heavily-processed fake "dough".
If I make phở with bean sprouts instead of noodles or if I put a chicken breast on a bed of cauliflower rice instead of white rice, I know darn well it's not the usual item. But it's still tasty. it's its own thing and it sinks or swims on its own merits.
When dining or planning a menu, I simply choose a starch, a protein and lots of veggies with fruit as a dessert. I don't get caught up in comparing or substituting. Some days, for protein, I enjoy nuts, other days it might be legumes and other days, eggs or dairy like cheese and some meats on different days.
For a starch, it might be a bread (tortilla, loaf, bun, pancake, etc), or a rice or pasta or squash or potato or peas, corn, carrots, etc.
I suppose that makes me a flextarian. I think that mostly I am just grateful for the diversity that is available in food and diet options.
As far restaurant financial support especially with cooler weather coming in the northern areas, as a flextarian I prefer to simply order a takeout once a week and add a tip rather than tax dollars leading the country further into debt that future generations have to pay.
ApatheticNoMore
9-18-20, 2:00pm
Restaurants may never get back all their business considering how many people have taken up a hobby of cooking at home almost in the pandemic. It's not really that much of a hobby for me, it's just what one has to do if one wants to eat, and most of the time I do, and when I don't there is restaurant take out.
Restaurants may never get back all their business considering how many people have taken up a hobby of cooking at home almost in the pandemic.
I think we will revert to the mean as the pandemic recedes over time. Never underestimate the power of laziness.
Jane v2.0
9-21-20, 11:48am
I think we will revert to the mean as the pandemic recedes over time. Never underestimate the power of laziness.
Or maybe people just like an evening out occasionally.
But I'd rather be a chronic layabout than a chronic cynic.
Or maybe people just like an evening out occasionally.
But I'd rather be a chronic layabout than a chronic cynic.
What is cynicism, if not a species of laziness?
What is cynicism, if not a species of laziness?
Food for thought...
Teacher Terry
9-21-20, 1:26pm
It’s relaxing and fun to have a meal out and be waited on. It’s also a great way to eat something you don’t make at home.
Food for thought...
Good one!
It’s relaxing and fun to have a meal out and be waited on. It’s also a great way to eat something you don’t make at home.
I generally go to restaurants that reliably cook up food I don't have the skill or ingredients for--like Thai, Indian, Ethiopian, etc. I could probably throw together some tom kha gai, but then where's the rest of my meal? I guess you could call that laziness.
Very off topic, but Jane, what happened to your avatar? If you're going to retire it, can you at least explain why you chose it for yourself?
On-topic: I think people will go back to enjoying restaurant dining. Already my SIL is back to posting pictures of her and my brother eating out on FB.
I agree with Jane--at least you can get take-out ethnic food. A new Indian restaurant is opening in Burlington and I'm dying to try it out. There is NO ethnic food in Vermont. We do have one new American/Vietnamese restaurant in the islands, but I don't think it's taking off.
Very off topic, but Jane, what happened to your avatar? If you're going to retire it, can you at least explain why you chose it for yourself?
On-topic: I think people will go back to enjoying restaurant dining. Already my SIL is back to posting pictures of her and my brother eating out on FB.
I agree with Jane--at least you can get take-out ethnic food. A new Indian restaurant is opening in Burlington and I'm dying to try it out. There is NO ethnic food in Vermont. We do have one new American/Vietnamese restaurant in the islands, but I don't think it's taking off.
I forgot about my avatar--Tlaloc, the Aztec rain god--rendered in polymer clay by Moi. Computer ate my password, username came up Presbyopiazadora, which I've hardly ever used for anything. Alan kindly gave me a new password for the old configuration, which so far doesn't work with whatever the hell my username is (you would think Jane v2.0, wouldn't you?) So I'm officially a newbie for now.
Though I haven't got to eat out recently, I don't think I could live where there weren't a variety of ethnic eateries. You've probably had pho--does your new Vietnamese restaurant make a good version? It's one of my favorites, with a durian shake for dessert. Surely that would be a big hit in the cold north winter.
Indian and Thai are high on my list, closely followed by Ethiopian and others. You can have all kinds of stuff delivered here now, and I'm making a list. Spendy, but very tempting.
Alan kindly gave me a new password for the old configuration, which so far doesn't work with whatever the hell my username is (you would think Jane v2.0, wouldn't you?) So I'm officially a newbie for now.
Out of curiosity I just took a look. The old username had a capital V and no spaces, so that along with the temp password I gave you should work.
Out of curiosity I just took a look. The old username had a capital V and no spaces, so that along with the temp password I gave you should work.
Yeah--I was going to try all the permutations at some future time. Thanks, Alan.
SteveinMN
9-21-20, 10:57pm
It's one of my favorites, with a durian shake for dessert.
I have tried durian two or three times, including once at a hawker's stall in Singapore. Could. not. finish. it. any time/any way I ate it. A tip of my hat to you for making it a favorite.
I have tried durian two or three times, including once at a hawker's stall in Singapore. Could. not. finish. it. any time/any way I ate it. A tip of my hat to you for making it a favorite.
I've spent a small fortune to buy a whole fruit at Uwajimaya. Its fragrance can be off-putting, but its flavor is divine, IMO. But I'm no hero; there are a lot of "healthy" foods I avoid.
SteveinMN
9-22-20, 10:32am
I've spent a small fortune to buy a whole fruit at Uwajimaya. Its fragrance can be off-putting, but its flavor is divine, IMO. But I'm no hero; there are a lot of "healthy" foods I avoid.
I couldn't get past the flavor, either. I just know I gave it the old college try and put it on the list of "foods I don't like" along with items like frosted cookies and liver, and content myself with knowing I eat all kinds of other "weird" foods (purslane, goat, beef hearts and tongues,...)
happystuff
9-23-20, 7:36am
I've never heard of durian and had to google it. Interesting. I don't think I've ever seen it at my local grocery, but then again - I've never looked.
It's bigger than a football, and spiky. A good Asian grocery would probably have it.
happystuff
9-23-20, 9:51am
I googled pictures, but still didn't realize it was that large!!
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