SeafoodSource: US restaurants, seafood suppliers plead for more government help as lockdowns are renewed
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US restaurants, seafood suppliers plead for more government help as lockdowns are renewed
Restaurants have been ordered to close once again in California and other areas of the United States currently experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases, and dining rooms remain closed in New York City.
In response, U.S. restaurants and seafood suppliers are pleading for government assistance, saying their situation is desperate.
Forced restaurant dining room closures across the country have resulted in an 80 percent drop in premium seafood product sales, several trade groups, including Seafood Harvesters of America, said in a recent letter to Congress.
In the letter, 215 suppliers and trade groups urged Congress to pass the RESTAURANTS Act, which would establish a USD 120 billion (EUR 106 billion) revitalization fund for independent bars and restaurants.
Seafood suppliers and distributors signing the letter include Gordon Food Service in Michigan, Nelson’s Meat + Fish in Arizona, and Wulfs Seafood in Massachusetts.
“The suppliers, and various trade associations representing them, asserted that providing direct aid to the beleaguered food and beverage industry would give supply chain businesses confidence that they can continue to invest in restaurants and build the relationships that power their livelihoods,” the Independent Restaurant Coalition said in a press release “The creation of this fund is a vital step to restart our national economic engine. We need restaurants to survive so we can help the millions of Americans in the extensive supply chain survive too.”
On 1 July, California Governor Gavin Newsom shut down indoor dining for at least three weeks due to the steep climb in COVID-19 cases in the state.
Experts estimate that as many as one-third of California’s 90,000 restaurants will never reopen, US News & World Report reported.
At the same time as California was closing once more, the government of New York City – which was originally slated to open indoor dining at restaurants in addition to outdoor – decided on 1 July to keep indoor dining closed.
“We respect the government and public health officials’ decision to postpone the anticipated 6 July reopening of indoor dining, but the longer neighborhood restaurants and bars are forced to be closed, the harder it will be for them to ever successfully reopen,” NYC Hospitality Alliance Executive Director Andrew Rigie said in a statement provided to SeafoodSource. “This makes it even more urgent to forgive rent, expand outdoor dining, and enact other responsive policies to save our city’s beloved small businesses and jobs.”
Among the restaurant chains suffering from steep financial losses is New York City -based Luxury Dining Group, operator of Fig & Olive restaurants in several U.S. cities, which filed for bankruptcy last week.
Christine Blank
Contributing Editor
@EditorsWriters
@FlavorfulExcursions