A Message from the James Beard Foundation:
Chefs,
Thank you to those of you who completed our re-opening survey last week! This information is so valuable—it helps to guide our decisions in work around advocacy and re-opening, and helps us better understand your needs as chefs, restaurant owners, and other professionals in the industry. A brief overview of the results are below.
Who filled out the survey?
The survey had 1,000+ responses. Most respondents were owner/operators or chefs of one business, employing less than 50 people. The amount of time in business greatly varied, from under five years to over 15 years.
Open for Business
Over half of respondents are open for takeout and delivery, while 40 percent are closed temporarily. Those that are open are relying on curbside pickup (65 percent), limited menu options (56 percent), and to-go wine and beer sales (51 percent).
Money and Messaging
Respondents’ top concern around re-opening is the overall safety of staff and customers, followed by managing consumer fears about COVID-19 transmission. Overwhelmingly, respondents estimated that they would need to re-open dining rooms to at least 50 percent capacity to make their businesses work financially.
The largest cost concerns around re-opening are food and beverage purchasing, as well as personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff, past vendor invoices, and past and future rent payments.
More respondents are worried about messaging social distancing and health and safety protocols to customers than they are about messaging health and hygiene and PPE protocol to staff.
Read the full story and survey results here.
Top Reads
- Lawmakers introduce bill backed by José Andrés to help restaurants, feed vulnerable [The Hill]
- What will reopening amid COVID-19 look like? These SoCal businesses are trying to plan ahead [ABC7]
- Opinion: The Hunger Pains of a Pandemic [New York Times]
Weekly Webinars
- Tuesday, May 12: Ask the Experts About PPP [Register Here]
- Wednesday, May 13: (In Partnership with OpenTable) In It Together: Industry Advocacy with Clare Reichenbach and Kwame Onwuachi [Register Here]
- Thursday, May 14: Food Producers in the Pandemic [Register Here]
More information and past webinars are available here.
Best,
Ashley Kosiak and the James Beard Foundation Impact Programs team
