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>>> THE OTHER DAY I SAW THIS
IMAGE FROM THE ATLANTIC WRITER
JAMES HAMBLIN OF AN OUTDOOR
DINING SITUATION HERE IN NEW
YORK THAT KIND OF EMBODIES WHERE
WE ARE WITH THE PANDEMIC RIGHT
NOW, RIGHT?
THE WHOLE IDEA IS BEING INDOORS
AROUND OTHER PEOPLE IS NOT
REALLY SAFE, AND SO INDOOR
DINING IS A BAD IDEA.
SO WE HAVE OUTDOOR DINING WHERE
YOU HAVE VENTILATION.
THE PROBLEM IS IT’S COLD IN MUCH
OF THE COUNTRY.
SO NOW WE’RE WATCHING EVERYONE
TRY TO LIKE SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
WELL, HOW CAN WE BE OUTDOORS AND
EATING THAT’S SAFE?
WELL, WHAT IF WE ENCLOSE THE
OUTDOORS AND THEN IT’S WARMER,
BUT THEN YOU JUST HAVE INDOORS.
THERE IS NO WAY TO THINK OUR WAY
OUT OF THE PROBLEM.
CERTAIN ACTIVITIES, NIGHTCLUBS,
RESTAURANTS, BARS, INDOOR
ACTIVITIES WITH LOTS OF PEOPLE
AROUND EACH OTHER, THEATERS,
CONCERTS, THEY’RE NOT GOING TO
BE SAFE UNTIL WE HAVE A VACCINE.
BUT WE CANNOT TELL THOSE ENTIRE
INDUSTRIES AND EVERYONE WHO
WORKS IN THEM TO JUST JUMP OFF A
BRIDGE, AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE
DOING RIGHT NOW.
TOM COLICCHIO KNOWS THE
RESTAURANT INDUSTRY FROM THE
INSIDE OUT.
HE’S A CELEBRATED CHEF AND OWNER
OF THE RESTAURANT CRAFTED
HOSPITALITY, THE HEAD JUDGE OF
BRAVO’S TOP CHEF, A FOUNDING
MEMBER OF THE INDEPENDENT
RESTAURANT COALITION.
TOM, IT’S GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON.
I JUST -- I FEEL LIKE WE’RE
WATCHING EVERYONE TRY TO CIRCLE
THIS IMPOSSIBLE SQUARE THAT’S
JUST NOT A SOLVABLE PROBLEM.
WHERE ARE RESTAURANTS,
INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS, RIGHT
NOW AT THIS POINT IN THE
PANDEMIC FINANCIALLY?
>> YEAH.
WE’RE DESPERATE, CHRIS.
YOU KNOW, WE’VE BEEN HANGING ON.
THE SUMMER, IT WAS KIND OF FINE
IF YOU HAVE SOME OUTDOOR DINING.
EVEN THEN WE WEREN’T REALLY
MAKING IT.
WE’RE ALL JUST KIND OF HANGING
ON.
AND RIGHT NOW IN THE MIDDLE OF
WHAT IS OUR BEST COURT, THIS IS
WHERE RESTAURANTS ACTUALLY, IF
THEY MAKE MONEY FOR THE YEAR,
THIS IS WHERE WE EKE IT OUT, OUR
FOURTH QUARTER, AND WE’RE BEING
FORCED TO CLOSE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN THE SPIRIT OF
KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE AND
ESPECIALLY IN NEW YORK CITY, YOU
KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT IT’S A HARD PILL TO SWALLOW
BECAUSE WE’VE BEEN DECIMATED.
WE’VE BEEN FORCED TO CLOSE ONCE
BEFORE.
IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN, AND
IF WE DON’T GET HELP, 65% TO 80%
OF ALL INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS
ACROSS THIS COUNTRY WILL CLOSE
THEIR DOORS.
>> REALLY?
WHERE IS THAT NUMBER -- IS THAT
NUMBERS YOU GUYS HAVE RUN IN
YOUR ORGANIZATION?
>> IT’S A COMBINATION OF
NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATIONS
AS RUN THOSE NUMBERS AND THE
JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION HAS RUN
THOSE NUMBERS.
>> EVEN THOUSAND WHEN YOU SEE
RESTAURANTS THAT ARE OPEN FOR
INDOOR DINING, THEY’RE NOT
PACKED IN THE WAY THEY’D
NORMALLY BE, WHICH IS GOOD.
THEY SHOULDN’T BE PACKED.
>> RIGHT.
>> BUT, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, AT
LEAST -- AND I HAVE A FRIEND
WHO’S A RESTAURATEUR.
WE DID AN INTERVIEW WITH HIM ON
MY PODCAST.
YOU KNOW, AT LEAST IN THE SUMMER
THERE WAS PPP.
SO THERE WAS SOME KIND OF
FEDERALIZED PROGRAM.
IT WASN’T GREAT FOR RESTAURANTS
FOR A BUNCH OF REASONS, BUT
THERE WAS SOMETHING.
I MEAN THERE’S JUST NOTHING NOW,
RIGHT?
WHAT ARE RESTAURANTS SUPPOSED TO
DO?
>> YEAH.
PPP WAS A SHORT-TERM PROBLEM TO
A LONG-TERM -- A SHORT-TERM FIX
TO A LONG-TERM PROBLEM.
RIGHT NOW I’M DOING IN NEW YORK
ABOUT 30% OF THE BUSINESS I
USUALLY DO.
I CAN’T -- I CAN’T CUT IT ON
THAT.
LUCKILY MY LANDLORD IS WORKING
WITH ME A LITTLE BIT.
BUT WE’RE LOOKING AT AN
EXTINCTION EVENT.
WHAT’S AT STAKE HERE,
INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS EMPLOY
11 MILLION PEOPLE F WE FACTOR IN
FISHERIES AND FARMERS AND WINE
MAKERS, LET’S DRILL DOWN PAST
THAT AND GET DOWN TO THE
PLUMBERS AND ELECTRICIANS, THE
LINEN COMPANIES.
IT’S AN ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM THAT’S
REALLY ABOUT TO SHUT DOWN, AND
NOT SHUT DOWN BECAUSE OF COVID
BUT SHUT DOWN BECAUSE WE NEED A
BRIDGE TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE
OF COVID MUCH THE.
THE REASON WE NEED THAT BRIDGE
IS AFTER WE’RE DONE, THESE JOBS
WILL TAKE A LONG TIME TO COME
BACK.
IF RESTAURANTS ARE KEPT INTACT,
ALL THOSE JOBS COME BACK.
THE BIGGEST PROBLEM I HAVE IS
MAKING THAT DECISION BETWEEN
KEEPING MY EMPLOYEES EMPLOYED,
THE ONES THAT ARE STILL
EMPLOYED, TRYING TO PAIR RARE
BILLS THAT I CAN PAY, AND AT THE
SAME TIME KNOWING THAT THIS
PANDEMIC IS JUST GETTING WORSE
AND WORSE.
SO WE’RE EXPECTING ANY DAY NEW
YORK TO BE SHUT DOWN.
KEEP IN MIND L.A. HAS NEVER
REOPENED INDOOR DINING.
CHICAGO HAS CLOSED, MINNEAPOLIS
HAS CLOSED.
MAJOR CITIES HAVE SHUT DOWN AND
EVERY SINGLE DAY WE’RE HEARING
FROM MEMBERS OF THE INDEPENDENT
RESTAURANT COALITION OR FRIENDS
OF OURS THAT ARE SHUTTING THEIR
DOORS FOR GOOD.
THESE ARE RESTAURANTS IN SOME
CASES THAT HAVE BEEN OPEN 20, IN
SOME CASES 30 YEARS AND THEY’RE
NEVER GOING TO SEE THE OTHER
SIDE OF THIS.
>> L.A. COUNTY JUST SHUT DOWN
OUTSIDE DINING AS WELL.
THE EVIDENCE WE HAVE THE CDC AND
OTHERS CONTINUES TO SHOW WHEN
PEOPLE ARE INSIDE EATING, THEY
CAN’T REALLY MASK.
PEOPLE TEND TO SPEAK LOUDLY, AND
INDOOR DINING IS PARTICULARLY
FAIRLY HIGH RISK AS THESE THINGS
GO.
THE MADDENING THING IS I WAS
TALKING TO A FRIEND THE OTHER
DAY.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, LIKE,
IMAGINING NEW YORK CITY OR
CHICAGO OR LOS ANGELES OR AUSTIN
OR SAN FRANCISCO OR BOSTON THE
SUMMER AFTER THE VACCINE, RIGHT?
LIKE IMAGINE THE WORLD WHEN
PEOPLE ARE VACCINATED, AND IT’S
LIKE LET’S DO IT.
LET’S GO TO CONCERTS.
LET’S GO TO THEATER.
LET’S GO TO RESTAURANTS.
LET’S JUST KEEP THEM ALIVE UNTIL
WE GET THERE.
>> EXACTLY.
YOU’RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
IT’S JUST KEEP US GOING.
HERE’S WHAT’S REALLY
FRUSTRATING.
THE RESTAURANT ACT, OKAY, WE
MANAGED IN SIX MONTHS -- WE’VE
MANAGED TO GET OUR BILL WRITTEN
IN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE,
OKAY?
WE HAVE CONGRESSMAN BLOOMEN HOUR
FROM THE PORTLAND, OREGON, AREA
WROTE IN THE HOUSE.
WICKER WROTE IN THE SENATE.
WE HAVE 49 CO-SPONSORS IN THE
SENATE INCLUDING JOHN CORNYN AND
ELIZABETH WARREN.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THEY BOTH
SPONSORED A BILL.
IN THE HOUSE, WE HAVE 203
CO-SPONSORS.
WE HAVE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR
THIS.
IF THIS ACTUALLY WERE REGULAR
ORDER LIKE THAT SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK
USED TO TELL US ABOUT, THIS
WOULD PASS EASILY, EASILY, AND
WE WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, A BILL
THAT’S GOING TO HELP SO MANY
PEOPLE.
>> YEAH.
>> IT’S THERE.
IT’S ALL THERE.
WE JUST NEED IT TO PASS.
>> THIS IS THE OTHER THING.
IT’S LIKE THERE’S RESTAURANTS IN
EVERY STATE IN THE UNION, IN
CONSERVATIVE AREAS AND LIBERAL
AREAS, LINE MISSISSIPPI’S GOT
RESTAURANTS.
LIKE IT JUST SHOULDN’T BE, AND
WE CAN BORROW AT ESSENTIALLY
NOTHING RIGHT NOW.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A NO-BRAINER.
IF ANYONE IN CONGRESS IS
WATCHING THIS, LET’S GET THIS
DONE AND SAVE -- BECAUSE THE
OTHER THING IS IT WILL PAY FOR
ITSELF PUBLIC HEALTH-WIDE.
>> MM-HMM.
>> GETTING -- LIKE ALLOWING
PEOPLE TO MAKE THESE CHOICES,
ALLOWING LOCAL POLICYMAKERS TO
SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT?
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO SHUT DOWN
DINING AND NOT BE TRYING TO
THREAD THE NEEDLE IS ALSO GOING
TO PAY HEALTH DIVIDENDS.
>> I’LL MAKE A THIRD ARGUMENT
TOO.
WHEN RESTAURANTS -- WHEN THE
LIGHTS ARE ON, COMMUNITIES ARE
SAFE, AND WE STAY OPEN LATE, AND
IF WE CLOSE, NUMBER ONE, I THINK
THE STREETS ARE GOING TO GET A
LITTLE MORE DANGEROUS.
ALSO COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE’S
GOING TO TAKE A HUGE HIT.
>> YEAH.
>> THERE’S A LOT OF BUSINESS
REASONS WHY.
AGAIN, I CAN APPEAL TO BOTH
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS HERE.
THERE’S A WHOLE LOT OF GOOD
REASONS TO KEEP CRIME DOWN, TO
SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES, THE
BACKBONE -- AGAIN, THERE ARE
MORE INDEPENDENT -- OVER HALF A
MILLION INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS