Chef Mark Peel

“We have been decimated by coronavirus. ” said Tom Colicchio, owner of Crafted Hospitality in New York and cofounder of the Independent Restaurant Coalition. “Most restaurateurs and chefs that I talk to, they don’t believe they’ll survive this. And if they do get open for a month or two at a time, they’ll probably close after that. We are looking at something that will completely gut the entire industry that employs 11 million people.”

The Coalition—representing more than 500,00 independent locations that provide $1 trillion to the economy—said the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program does not help the restaurant industry.

The main argument pushed by the Coalition is that it doesn’t make financial sense to hire back employees for two months when their restaurants may not open during that time. They believe after the loan dries up, the employees will be laid off again.

To fix this issue, the group wants to move the origin date of the loan to the first day that restaurants can open and extend the maximum loan amount to three months after restaurants are allowed to reopen and operate at full capacity.

According to Naomi Pomeroy, operator of Beast in Portland, Oregon, and cofounder of the Coalition, about 60 percent of the jobs lost in March were from the restaurant and bars.

She noted that the effect on the independent restaurant industry goes beyond the 11 million employees. There’s also the millions that are indirectly connected like farmers, fishermen, winemakers, distributors, and producers.

“So many people are going to be directly impacted by this that the damage to our economy overall is at the greatest risk by not having the PPP apply to restaurants,” said Pomeroy, who applied for an SBA loan but hasn’t heard back. “ … We are a very tight-margin industry where we’re relying completely on cash flow. And most of the people that I know are not going to be able to open their restaurants again.”

While small, mom and pop restaurants struggle to gain funds, larger chains like Potbelly and Ruth’s Hospitality Group have announced reception of SBA loans."

80 Percent of Independent Restaurants Aren’t Sure They’ll Survive COVID-19 | FSR magazine A dark cloud continues to hang over the independent restaurant industry as a recent survey revealed 80 percent of operators aren’t certain their business will survive the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey, which included more than 1,400 participants, was released by the James Beard Foundation and the ...

Don’t let independent restaurants go extinct. Sign the letter. Call your member of Congress. And please remember all the undocumented people who work in every restaurant in every city in every state. .

Please join the fight to save our independent restaurants!

https://www.saverestaurants.com/

Letter | Save Restaurants Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer and Leader McCarthy; On behalf of the nearly 500,000 independent restaurants across the country, we want to thank you for taking action to help keep our critical industry alive through this crisis. Independent restaurants directly employ 11 milli...

I can't say enough good things about the food coming out of any of Suzanne Goin's restaurants. If you are going to be holed up at home, you might as well eat well! I recommend that you take advantage of their service. Let's keep wonderful local restaurants in business. Your taste buds will thank you.

Tavern To Go!!! We’ve (temporarily) closed the dining room at Tavern 🙁 In an effort to nourish our community (& support our beloved staff) we are offering a special Take Out menu of our favorites available daily from 12-8p for + Menu options & ordering at tavernla.com

We were on KTLA5's segment on "An Evening on the Beach Benefiting St. Vincent Meals on Wheels". Don't miss the best beach party! Make sure to get your tickets and join us from 6-10 pm on September 12.

An Evening on the Beach Benefiting St. Vincent Meals on Wheels The Director of Meals on Wheels of California Daryl Twerdahl along with chefs from Prawn, Kali and Tesse restaurants joined us live to tell us all about An Evening on the Beach. This event is an oceanside celebration, offering a truly unique food and wine experience benefiting St Vincent Meals on Wh...

Join us for an Evening on the Beach on September 12. It's a great party and benefits a great cause: St. Vincent Meals on Wheels.

Chefs 2019

Friday night I had dinner at A.O.C. No, not the Washington version of AOC but Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne’s restaurant at 8700 W 3rd Street . A warm summer night is the perfect time to enjoy their charming patio and delicious dishes. We had foccacia with grilled leeks, arroz negro with squid & saffron aïoli, Spanish fried chicken (which, by the way, is delicious for breakfast the next day), summer succotash with lime & nasturtium butter. All were perfect. Pair these with the professional service and the warm welcome and you can't go wrong. It was great to see Suzanne Goin again!

AOC Wine Bar and Restaurant 8700 West 3rd Street Los Angeles California LA's best cocktails, winebar After opening critically acclaimed Lucques in 1998, the duo of 3 time James Beard Award winning chef Suzanne Goin (Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America 2017, Outstanding Chef 2016, Best Chefs in America 2006, Cooking from a Professional point of view 2006) and award winning, James Beard nominee s...

Today is Anthony Bourdain's birthday and I celebrate his life. I, like many others, enjoyed "traveling" with him to parts unknown. It is also close to the anniversary of his death. Tony's su***de makes me remember and think. He was an endearing and incisive person and subject to terrible depression. We need to open our doors to others when we feel the walls closing in and let ourselves be helpless with others.

Perspective | On the anniversary of Anthony Bourdain’s birth, it’s time we talk about depression A year after he died of su***de, we need to work to destigmatize the disease, and that means coming clean.

Here's a short article on how a few of us are working to make seafood approachable. I believe that it is going to be the protein of the future and that we need to do that in a responsible sustainable way.

How 3 growing chains make seafood more approachable Fast-casual concepts tap interest in the category