For most people, the measures required to cope with the coronavirus epidemic are inconvenient and stressful. But for restaurants and bars, the effect is severe and quite possibly disastrous.
Being forced to close their doors to patrons through March 30, as ordered in Illinois on Sunday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, not only will cost those establishments in Illinois revenue, but is likely to put some at risk of closing for good.
That would be bad for their owners, bad for their employees, bad for their suppliers, bad for neighboring businesses and bad for their customers. The economic repercussions of this mandate, necessary though it is, will be far-reaching. The same is true in other places throughout the nation facing the same situation.
So if you value that mom-and-pop diner and lively corner tavern, look for ways to help ensure they will still be around once thos crisis passes.
You could hardly blame those who own or work at these businesses if they’re gripped by panic.
“Right now, first and foremost, we’re in a fight for our survival,” Rob Katz, co-owner of Boka Restaurant Group, told the Chicago Tribune. “Fixed expenses are incredibly high in our industry. And if cash flow ceases to exist, things get critical very, very quickly.”
Some dining establishments pledged to help their workers get through the crisis. Others have had to reduce hours or cut staff, at least temporarily. Employees who depend heavily on tips will be especially hurt. The kitchen workers, bartenders and servers deprived of their usual income might be unable to pay rent or buy groceries.
What can you do?
A couple of solutions come to mind.
The first is to order from those places that stay open offering food for via delivery, takeout or curbside pickup. Those orders will keep their kitchens busy and their income from vanishing. It will allow some workers, if not all, to keep working. It will keep managers from having to destroy — that is, to waste — fresh food as it spoils.
Buying out in lieu of dining out also allows you to save for another time all the rice and other food you stockpiled. And maybe you could use an excuse to get out of the house in a way that doesn’t violate the social distancing rules recommended by public health authorities.
Another recourse is to buy gift cards from these places for future use. That way, they get the money now, when the need is dire, and you get to look forward to a good meal or night out later — with the tab already paid. This option could be particularly useful for places that normally do a brisk lunch trade from workers in nearby buildings, which might be far away from those workers when they’re staying home.
It’s not only bars and restaurants that are affected by this disruption. Any small business or nonprofit that caters to the public and is shut down will also be deprived vital revenue during this period. If your favorite music venue is closed, you might order tickets online for a show that’s weeks or months away. If there’s a theater you like that can’t stage plays, you might make a tax-deductible donation.
Once all of us start thinking about all the people we normally encounter who are being hurt by this crisis, we’ll come up with our own ideas.
Then, let’s put them to use.
— Chicago Tribune