I WISH IT WAS WHEN WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT BETTER NEWS.
HERE WE ARE, NINE MONTHS IN.
WE’RE HEARING FROM INDEPENDENT
RESTAURANT OWNERS ACROSS THIS
COUNTRY IN A PANIC THAT NEW
RESTRICTIONS WILL PUT THEM
UNDER.
BUT LET’S BE HONEST.
EVEN IF WE DON’T GET NEW
RESTRICTIONS, HOW BAD ARE THINGS
EVEN WITHOUT THE RESTRICTIONS?
ARE PEOPLE REALLY GOING OUT
BUYING WINE?
I MEAN, COME ON.
>> FIRST OFF, THANK YOU FOR
KEEPING YOUR FOCUS ON THE PLIGHT
OF SO MANY SMALL BUSINESSES,
INCLUDING RESTAURANTS.
WE’RE SUFFERING NOW.
YOU MAY SEE A BUSY -- A
RESTAURANT THAT LOOKS BUSY.
THERE’S PEOPLE OUT IN FRONT
SITTING AROUND.
BUT INSIDE, WE HAVE FOUR TIMES
THE CAPACITY AND NO ONE IS
EATING INDOORS.
WE’RE SEEING RESTAURANTS CLOSED
IN CHICAGO.
LOS ANGELES HAS NEVER OPENED
INDOOR DINING.
MORE RESTRICTIONS IN NEW YORK,
NEW JERSEY AND I AM SURE AT --
VERY SOON WE’LL SEE A COMPLETE
SHUTDOWN.
WE NEED HELP.
WE NEED IT NOW.
THE INDEPENDENT RESTAURANT
COALITION, WE SPENT THE LAST
EIGHT MONTHS GETTING OUR MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS TO ACTUALLY WRITE
THE RESTAURANTS ACT, AND THEY’VE
DONE THAT.
WE HAVE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.
208 CO-SPONSORS IN THE HOUSE.
48 CO-SPONSORS IN THE SENATE,
INCLUDE
INCLUDING JOHN CORNYN AND
ELIZABETH WARREN, WHO HAVE NEVER
SEEN THE TWO OF THEM AGREE ON
ANYTHING.
WE HAVE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.
IF MITCH McCONNELL BROUGHT THE
RESTAURANT ACT TO THE FLOOR NOW,
IT WOULD PASS EASILY.
SO WE NEED HELP.
WE NEED IT NOW.
EVERY SINGLE DAY I’M HEARING
FROM RESTAURATEURS THAT ARE
SHUTTING THEIR DOORS.
NEVER TO REOPEN.
WHAT’S AT STAKE HERE, 11 MILLION
PEOPLE BETWEEN 65 TO 80% OF ALL
INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS WILL
CLOSE WITHOUT HELP.
WE EMPLOY 11 MILLION PEOPLE AND
FACTOR IN ALL THE OTHER
BUSINESSES IT’S ABOUT 20 MILLION
PEOPLE.
>> DRIVE-THROUGH AND
CONTACT-FREE AND PICK-UP MIGHT
WORK FOR FAST, CASUAL CHAIN
RESTAURANTS, BUT CAN YOU HELP US
UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARGUMENTS
WE HEAR ABOUT RESTAURANTS JUST
NEED TO PIVOT.
THAT DOESN’T WORK FOR
RESTAURANTS IN CITIES WITH HIGH
RENTS WITH LIQUOR LICENSES.
>> I PIVOTED A MILLION DIFFERENT
WAYS.
MY RESTAURANT, SMALL INDEPENDENT
RESTAURANTS, WE’RE NOT KNOWN FOR
TAKEOUT.
AND A LOT OF OUR CUSTOMERS TRY
TO HELP OUT AND TRY TO ORDER
FROM US, BUT THAT’S NOT OUR
BUSINESS MODEL.
AND SO, YEAH, WE CAN PIVOT AND
THAT WILL ADD SOME REVENUE.
DOING ABOUT 25% OF MY TYPICAL
BUSINESS RIGHT NOW IN NEW YORK.
THAT’S NOT GOING TO CUT IT.
RENTS ARE HIGH.
AND THE OTHER THING IS WE’RE
MAKING DECISIONS EVERY SINGLE
DAY TO BRING PEOPLE IN, AND THEY
HAVE TO WORK.
OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE TO WORK
BECAUSE THEIR UNEMPLOYMENT IS
RUNNING OUT.
THEY’RE NOT GETTING THE
ADDITIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT AND
THEY’RE SUFFERING, TOO.
WITHOUT THIS, WHAT’S THE RESULT
OF THIS?
YES, BUSINESSES ARE GOING TO
CLOSE.
WE ARE LOOKING AT THE GREATEST
AMOUNT OF HUNGER IN THIS COUNTRY
GOING BACK TO THE GREAT
DEPRESSION.
AND WE NEED HELP NOW ON A -- FOR
A WHOLE LOT OF REASONS.
BUT AGAIN, SO MANY PEOPLE WHO
WORK IN RESTAURANTS ARE NOT
GOING TO GET THEIR JOBS BACK.
THEY ARE LOSING JOBS.
WE’VE BEEN DECIMATED, FORCED TO
CLOSE OUR DOORS.
WE’RE NOT ASKING FOR A HANDOUT.
WE’RE ASKING FOR HELP TO GET TO
THE OTHER SIDE SO WE CAN STAY
OPEN AND SO WE CAN BE THERE
AFTER THE PANDEMIC IS CLOSED --
AFTER THE PANDEMIC IS ENDED.
>> A TIME CAPSULE, REALLY.
AS IMPORTANT AS RESTAURANTS ARE
TO YOU, NOTHING IS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN YOUR KIDS.
DO YOU THINK RESTAURANTS SHOULD
BE CLOSED BEFORE SCHOOLS ARE
CLOSED?
OR SHOULD IT BE THE OTHER WAY
AROUND?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AS A RESTAURATEUR AND AS A
FATHER OF THREE CHILDREN, TWO OF
THEM OF SCHOOL AGE, ABSOLUTELY.
AGAIN, IF KIDS ARE FORCED TO
STAY HOME, PARENTS THAT HAVE
JOBS ARE GOING TO BE FORCED TO
STAY HOME AS WELL.
AND SO, YEAH, IT’S IMPERATIVE.
ESPECIALLY -- AND I AGREE WITH
THE LAST COMMENT THAT I HEARD.
YOU CAN GET BUSINESSES THAT --
GET THROUGH THIS, BUT ALL THE
MONEY IS NOT GOING TO HELP THAT
KID WHEN THEY’RE NOT
SOCIALIZING.
MY CHILDREN ARE IN SCHOOL FULL
TIME WITH THEIR FRIENDS.
THEY’RE ACTUALLY OUTDOORS IN A
CLASSROOM RIGHT NOW WITH MASKS
ON, BUT AT LEAST THEY GET THE
INTERACTION.
I KNOW LAST SPRING WHEN THEY
WERE FORCED TO BE INSIDE, IT’S
JUST GETTING WORSE.
SO ABSOLUTELY, BUT AGAIN, WE
NEED HELP TO DO THAT.
AND THAT’S THE DECISION WE
SHOULDN’T HAVE TO MAKE.
IF WE KNEW THE RESTAURANTS ACT
WAS PASSED, WHEN THESE GOVERNORS
MAKE THESE DECISIONS AND MAYORS
MAKE THESE DECISIONS, YOU’RE NOT
GOING TO SEE AN UPROAR.
YOU’LL SEE PEOPLE SAY, OKAY,
THAT’S MY RESPONSIBILITY, BUT I