Delanie Dickens
Photography Editor
When COVID-19 presented itself in the U.S. in early March, most restaurants thought very little of the situation. Employers barely expected to lay off tens of thousands of the industry’s workers in just a few short weeks. Store managers could hardly foresee closing their doors to even their most loyal of customers.
The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations reported that over 100,000 residents filed for unemployment in the second week of April. The majority of restaurant workers, many of whom were already living paycheck-to-paycheck, now find themselves collecting weekly unemployment checks in a desperate attempt to provide for themselves and their families.
Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, Missouri received a Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) package which allows state governments to administer an extra $600 in assistance to workers displaced by COVID-19. The program was able to provide some relief to struggling Missourians. Others continue to live with the uncertainty that the next few months might bring.
Nearly all businesses have, in one way or another, experienced the financial side effects of this unprecedented catastrophe. The food industry has been hit especially hard. Most restaurants are being uniquely forced to adapt to the new “social distancing” culture that will likely linger for some time to come.
“Business has declined drastically,” said Dennis Vogel, restaurant manager at Denny’s in Neosho. Vogel and his co-managers have taken a considerable pay cut since the outbreak. The decisions left their incomes hundreds of dollars short.
“The franchise lost $3.7 million after the dining room closed on March 21st,” Vogel explained. “Managers took a pay cut to keep the doors open for curb-side and delivery.”
Denny’s is following all health guidelines given by state and federal governments as well as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“This includes the initial closing of our dining room to the public, proper handwashing, wearing gloves and trying our best to remain 6 feet apart from our guests at all times.” Vogel concluded.
While many restaurants have faced similar obstacles over the past few weeks, not all businesses have reported such drastic drawbacks. Delivery services like UberEats and DoorDash have certainly seen a rise in profit since the outbreak. Fast food chains such as McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s have been able to rely on their drive-thrus despite having to close their dining rooms.
“When this first started we didn’t get many people coming to our store, but now we are always busy,” explained Crowder student, Kylee Trevarrow, who works at Braum’s in Joplin.
“Summer time is our busiest time and ever since the beginning of April we have been running summer numbers,” Trevarrow continued, “We have to clean things constantly and we have to wash or dip our hand into sanitizer after every customer, and we try to stay six feet apart,” she said, in regards to the current CDC recommendations her store is abiding by.
Like Trevarrow, many college students who work in fast food might actually find that business is booming right now, allowing more work opportunities for some. Sadly, this is not the case for most dine-in restaurants and their employees.
While it is important we not forget the thousands of misplaced restaurant employees across the U.S., we must also note the effect that the outbreak has had on consumers.
A recent CDC study concluded that between 2013 and 2016, roughly 36.6% of Americans ate fast food on any given day. This number does not include those who ate at diners and steakhouses that are not considered fast food.
For most of the American public, not having everyday services like retail stores and restaurants readily available for our convenience has been a major adjustment. Online ordering has been a lifesaver for most college students who are either busy, broke, or both.
“I’m most excited for El Vallarta and Casa Montez,” Trevarrow resolved, while discussing which restaurants she was most excited to visit in the eventual end of the pandemic. Like Trevarrow, most consumers are concerned about local restaurants trying to stay afloat. Ultimately, most wait anxiously for the opportunity to enjoy their favorite meal surrounded by loved ones again.
As the state of Missouri attempts to open its doors once more this week, it is hard to predict the future for the restaurant industry at this time. Slowly, restaurants will attempt to let a few number of guests in their dining rooms. A stab in the dark for many owners and managers, something must be done to save a $900 billion industry that employed over 15 million Americans last year.
Establishments will continue to follow strict health guidelines. Everyday operations will remain unordinary. The way we eat out may look very different after such an eye-opening experience. While money is a major concern for restaurants at this time, safety and security is the number one priority for everyone.
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