DOWNTOWN.
SOCIAL DISTANCE AND HAVE SOME
FUN!
>> Jason: HE’S A CELEBRITY CHEF
ON THE FOOD NETWORK AND AUTHOR
OF FOUR COOKBOOKS TO HELP
RESTAURANT WORKERS AND THEIR
FAMILY.
ROBERT IRVINE IS BACK FOR AN
IMPOSSIBLE MISSION AND THE GOAL
OF HELPING RESTAURANTS DURING
THE PANDEMIC.
CHEF ROBERT OF IRVINE JOINS US
NOW.
HOW ARE YOU?
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> GREAT TO SEE YOU.
THANKS FOR TAKING TIME TO CHAT.
>> Jason: ABSOLUTELY.
RESTAURANT IMPOSSIBLE HAS HELPED
PLACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR 17
SEASONS.
YOU GO IN AND TURN THINGS AROUND
AND TURN IT FROM A STRUGGLING
BUSINESS TO A THRIVING BUSINESS
AND NOW HELPING PEOPLE GET BACK
TO BUSINESS BECAUSE THE PANDEMIC
HAS HIT RESTAURANTS ESPECIALLY
HARD.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
>> SO THE COOL THING IS, YOU’RE
RIGHT, 17 SEASONS OF RESTAURANT
IMPOSSIBLE.
NORMALLY I GO AND HELP THEM
BECAUSE THEY MADE THE MISTAKES.
IN THIS CASE, THE PANDEMIC,
BEGINNING OF MARCH, OUR WORLD
WENT INTO A TAILSPIN.
RESTAURANTS CLOSED, 11 MILLION
WORKERS WENT OUT OF WORK.
AND THE RESTAURANTS CLOSED NO
FAULT OF THEIR OWN AND REOPENING
THEM.
IT MEANS REDOING DECOR, IF WE
NEED OUTSIDE DINING, WE’LL PUT
IT IN.
IF WE NEED WINDOWS TO GO, MENU
REVISITS, DECOR REVISITS.
HOW DO WE MAKE UP THE REVENUE
THAT WE’VE LOST FROM 25%
SEATING, 50% SEATING OR NO
SEATING AT ALL?
THERE’S A LOT OF THINGS GOING IN
THERE.
THE PROTOCOLS OF DINING.
WE WEAR A MASK, THE FOOD SOURCE,
THE SUPPLY CHAIN, ALL THOSE
THINGS WE NEVER THOUGHT OF
BEFORE TO MAKE THE CONSUMER FEEL
SAFE AND WANTED.
>> Jason: EVEN IN THE BEST OF
TIMES, I BELIEVE THE STAT I’VE
ALWAYS HEARD IS THAT 80% OF ALL
NEW RESTAURANTS EVENTUALLY GO
BELLY UP.
IS THAT THE CASE?
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
>> NORMALLY WITHIN 3 YEARS,
THOSE RESTAURANTS ARE GONE.
AND HERE WE ARE FACING ROUGHLY
30-40% OF ALL RESTAURANTS, NOT
JUST MOM & POP RESTAURANTS.
YOU CAN BE A BIG CHAIN
RESTAURANT AND BE GONE IN THE
NEXT 4-6 WEEKS.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE’VE SEEN 35% OF
OUR RESTAURANT INDUSTRY
DETERIORATED, GONE, NEVER COMING
BACK, THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR
OWN.
THE GOVERNMENT IS CONTROLLING
THE COVID-19 AND IF THEY SAY
THERE’S NO DINING IN, THERE’S NO
DINING IN.
HOW DO WE REPLACE THE REVENUE?
HOW DO WE GO INTO A PLACE THAT
DOESN’T HAVE OUTSIDE DINING?
HOW DO YOU GO TO A PLACE THAT
YOU CAN’T DINE IN BUT YOU CAN
CARRY OUT?
SO THERE’S A LOT OF INFORMATION,
A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION FOR
NOT ONLY RESTAURANTS BUT A
SERVICE BUSINESS.
WE’VE DONE 6 RESTAURANTS RIGHT
NOW AND BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN
DOING MORE.
AND WE’LL CONTINUE TO DO MORE AS
LONG AS THESE FOLKS NEED HELP.
>> Jason: YOUR LATEST COOK BACK
IS "FAMILY TABLE" AND WHY IS IT
IMPORTANT TO HAVE A COOKBOOK
WITH THIS SORT OF THEME?
>> WELL, I THINK, YOU KNOW,
WE’VE NOTICED THROUGH COVID-19,
WE DON’T GET AS MUCH TIME
TOGETHER ANYMORE.
WE’RE ALWAYS BUSY.
AND COVID-19 IS REALLY
HIGHLIGHTED THAT.
WE SPEND TIME TOGETHER AND
THERE’S NO SCHOOL GOING ON, AND
THE HOME SCHOOL.
THAT’S WHY I WANTED TO GET BACK
TO GETTING AWAY FROM PHONES AND
GET INTO OUR CHILDREN’S LIVES.
I’VE GOT TWO DAUGHTERS, 22 AND
19.
AND WHEN THEY COME TO MY WIFE,
NO PHONES.
WE COOK, WE ENJOY, AND THAT’S
WHY I WANTED THE BOOK, TO GET
BACK TO BASICS OF HUMAN
RELATIONS.
>> Jason: ROBERT, THANK YOU FOR
TAKING TIME TO TALK TO US TODAY.
>> APPRECIATE IT JASON.