Restaurant Industry News Archives

This week in restaurant news: Floyd Cardoz, stimulus bill, restaurants become relief centers

Every week we’re rounding up some of our favorite articles with trends and tidbits from the world of restaurants. Tell us: what made your reading list this week?

Groundbreaking Indian Chef Floyd Cardoz Dies at 59 of COVID-19 – Food & Wine
News of the passing of Floyd Cardoz, award-winning chef of Mumbai’s Bombay Canteen and O Pedro, shook the restaurant world. Cardoz became the first Indian-born and -raised chef to helm a top New York City kitchen when he joined Union Square Hospitality Group to lead the now-shuttered Tabla. Read memories and condolences from Ruth Reichl, Danny Meyer, Francis Lam, and more.

Restaurant Closings Inflict Collateral Damage on Other Businesses – New York Times
The industry’s coronavirus reporting has largely centered restaurants, but businesses that depend on dining out are also suffering. Learn how fishermen, bakers, farmers, and distributors have been impacted by closures. Also in the Times, read this op-ed from Dirt Candy chef-owner Amanda Cohen on the future of restaurant economics.

Everything to Know About How the $2 Trillion Stimulus Helps (and Fails) Restaurants – Eater
Eater’s Ryan Sutton breaks down the federal stimulus bill to answer burning questions that affect the entire restaurant world. Find out what the legislation means for you and your team, from paid leave and loan forgiveness to benefits for gig workers and families.

Chefs Across the US Are Transforming Their Restaurants into Relief Centers for Laid-Off Restaurant Workers – CNN Travel
Chefs are rallying to help out-of-work peers as dining rooms close en masse, launching relief centers to give out meals, cleaning supplies, and essentials. Others vow to cook a million gallons of soup to feed restaurant workers. Learn about all of their efforts and how you can access them.

It’s Like Starting A Whole New Restaurant: Take Out In The Time Of COVID-19 – Forbes
For a full-service restaurant, pivoting to a takeout and delivery model requires thoughtful planning, quick action, and a multifaceted approach. Here’s how restaurants around the country have pulled it off, with examples from distinct, varied concepts – read on, and get inspired.

This week in restaurant news: restaurant relief, creativity amid crisis, the state of the industry

Every week we’re rounding up some of our favorite articles with trends and tidbits from the world of restaurants. Tell us: what made your reading list this week?

Restaurant Industry Asks for $145 Billion Recovery Fund from the Government – CNBC
With hundreds of billions projected in sales declines, and millions in job losses, the National Restaurant Association asked the federal government for $145 billion in relief for restaurants and their employees. Eater provided a script to use when asking representatives to advocate for a restaurant bailout.

What Restaurants Need Right Now to Actually Survive – Eater
What exactly would a bailout cover? Restaurateurs strive for consensus over their most pressing needs, which include rent abatement or deferment, interest-free loans, unemployment benefits, and universal basic income.

How the Restaurant Industry Is Responding to COVID-19 – James Beard Foundation
The Beard Foundation is continuously updating its list of coronavirus resources for diners, restaurateurs, and chefs. Check back for advice on adapting to coronavirus restrictions, medical information, relevant nonprofits and fundraisers, and city-specific efforts.

$150 Emergency Taco Kits, Leftover Pantry Staples, Merch: Chefs Forced to Reinvent Amid Restaurant Shutdown – Los Angeles Times
Chefs and operators pivot to save their struggling businesses, encouraging delivery and takeout, meal kits, gift cards, and retail. Here, Andrea Chang rounds up some of the most creative responses, from an “emergency taco kit” to a one-day fire sale on unused producst.

States Ease Liquor Laws to Help Restaurants – Restaurant Business Online
New York and Illinois are allowing restaurants to sell beer, wine, and spirits (in some cases) with food takeout and delivery orders – a boon for businesses looking for new income streams and needing to offload product. Read the details here.

Danny Meyer’s Restaurant Group Lays Off 2,000 Workers – The New York Times
Julia Moskin reports that not only Meyer’s restaurants, but those of Tom Colicchio, Major Food Group, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten were forced to lay off staff as their businesses close. USGH and other groups have promised to rehire employees as soon as the crisis passes.

The State of the Restaurant Industry – OpenTable
With our restaurant partners in crisis, OpenTable pulled together data from our platform to show the present impact on the industry. See up-to-date global trends in bookings from the past year, and drill down for state-level data. Find guidance in our preparedness resource center here.

This week in restaurant news: delivery, sick leave, restaurants in the time of coronavirus

Every week we’re rounding up some of our favorite articles with trends and tidbits from the world of restaurants. Tell us: what made your reading list this week?

A Guide to Coronavirus’ Impact on the Food World – Eater
COVID-19 dominated restaurant news headlines this week, as operators worry about the impact of the pandemic on business. Eater’s guide covers everything you need to know, from closures and calls for tax breaks to fine dining restaurants leaning on delivery and takeout.

2020 James Beard Awards Postponed Until the Summer – James Beard Foundation
One of the industry’s biggest events of the year has been postponed, the Beard Foundation announced on Thursday, following in the steps of events like Austin’s SXSW. Nominees will be named on March 25 as scheduled.

‘If We Work Sick, Then You Get Sick’ – The New York Times
The Times’ editorial board called on American employers, especially those in the retail and restaurant industries, to offer paid sick leave in order to reduce the spread of illness. Here, the writers consider what it will take to drive restaurants to change their policies.

What Is a Restaurant Critic’s Job in a Time of Social Distancing? – Grub Street
In an essay for Grub Street, Adam Platt contrasts post-9/11 dining out for solidarity with social distancing in the time of coronavirus, acknowledging a critic’s conflicting responsibilities to support the industry and encourage safety. In due time, he writes, restaurants will again be a place for communities to find comfort and relief.

Coronavirus: Postmates, Door Dash, UberEats Offer No-Contact Delivery Options – The Mercury News
With more food delivery customers seeking to reduce exposure, food delivery platforms offer “contactless” delivery to reduce the risk of transmission. That means drivers leaving deliveries on doorsteps, rather than greeting in person, and plenty of gloves and hand sanitizer. But what does it mean for hospitality?

This week in restaurant news: coronavirus, Nashville tornado, restaurants discover wellness

Every week we’re rounding up some of our favorite articles with trends and tidbits from the world of restaurants. Tell us: what made your reading list this week?

A Guide for Waiters and Restaurants Navigating Coronavirus – CNN Business
Amid coronavirus fears that encourage people to stay home, restaurants and bars are taking a hit. From sending home sick staff and wearing masks to communicating safety to customers, here’s what restaurant workers can do.

The Hard-Knocks Restaurant World Discovers Wellness – The New York Times
Free yoga. Teeth cleaning incentives. Paid maternity and paternity leave. Counseling. The historically fast-paced, anxiety-steeped restaurant industry is waking up to realities of substance abuse, mental and physical health, and even work-life balance with new benefits for workers. Reporter Kim Severson dives into the changes.

Midnight Tornado Damages Multiple Restaurants and Bars in Nashville – Eater Nashville
Tornadoes swept through Nashville last week, killing 19 people and damaging or destroying many of the city’s beloved restaurants. Eater Nashville gives a list of restaurants that were affected or closed until further notice – reach out, check in, and find out how you can help.

How to Use a Menu Engineering Worksheet – Toast
You know how menu engineering works in theory, but do you know how to put it to practice? Try this free menu engineering from Toast, which helps operators understand the performance of each menu item, including which ones are most profitable and which ones are hurting the bottom line.

That Subscription Life – Expedite
“Frequency and spend.” That’s the secret to subscription-based café and restaurant services, like the $8.99/month coffee subscription Panera introduced last month. Here, restaurant-tech reporter Kristen Hawley explores the numbers and behavior behind loyalty and rewards programs.

This week in restaurant news: Beard semifinalists, educating diners, inside the gig economy hustle

Every week we’re rounding up some of our favorite articles with trends and tidbits from the world of restaurants. Tell us: what made your reading list this week?

The 2020 James Beard Award Semifinalists – James Beard Foundation
On Wednesday, the James Beard Foundation released its restaurant and chef semifinalists, a precursor to the final list of nominees (to be announced March 25). The semifinalist selections show attention to geographic diversity, as Texas and California earn their own distinct categories – an attempt to give the rest of the “West” a fair shot, as Eater explains.

Apps Have Turned Restaurant Work into a Gig-Economy Hustle. Here’s How One Cook Chases a Paycheck. – The Washington Post
For three weeks reporter Richard Morgan followed Zia Sheikh, a New York restaurant worker, as he worked on-demand kitchen gigs found through an app. The resulting story exposes the long hours, stressful conditions, and low pay associated with gig work and begs more conversation around the long-term sustainability of industry labor.

Restaurants Are Finally Prioritizing Workers’ Mental Health – Eater
In an industry that’s historically glorified intense pressure and hustle, some owners and operators are serious about creating a safe, supportive space for their teams. From the substance abuse support organization Ben’s Friends to peer-to-peer counseling through I Got Your Back, get to know the folks transforming restaurant culture for the better.

How Restaurants Find the Sweet Spot Between Educating and Alienating Diners – Washington City Paper
Chefs and operators have to make decisions about the language on their menus. For example, will guests know “lumpia” or is it more helpful to list “Filipino spring rolls”? Here, restaurants weigh in on their approach to communicating potentially unfamiliar ingredients and dishes to diners.

Even with Few U.S. Cases, Coronavirus Fears Spark Restaurant Business Downturn – Restaurant Business Online
Only a handful of confirmed coronavirus cases have been caught in the U.S., but concern has sent stock prices diving at some of the biggest restaurant companies. Learn how travel fears are affecting business, and how restaurants are responding.

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