NJ Restaurants and Bars That Can Open Up 2 Walls
Can reopen for indoor dining, Murphy says. While New Jersey still has a sweeping ban on eateries offering indoor dining as the coronavirus continues to plague the state, bars and restaurants that can open up two of their four walls will now be allowed to serve patrons inside, Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday. This appears to benefit some restaurants with open-air settings at the Jersey Shore and other areas. Murphy said the loosening of restrictions was possible because having half of a building’s wall space open allows for ample air flow. Still, he acknowledged that not every restaurant will benefit from the new policy.
Can Restaurants Survive the Pandemic?
Dining out is a national pastime. Beloved neighborhood joints and fine-dining landmarks are already going under, and industry experts predict that up to 80 percent of U.S. restaurants might never reopen. Restaurants, which employ 15.6 million Americans and generate $900 billion in revenue during a normal year, were very tough businesses before the pandemic, typically running on 5 percent margins. Government-imposed lockdowns in the early stage of the pandemic led to widespread layoffs, with food-service employees accounting for 60 percent of early unemployment claims. Some have survived by emphasizing takeout. A smaller group added to their revenue by selling premade cocktails, semi-prepared meal kits, and grocery bundles. Delivery and takeout surged 19 percent nationwide once lockdowns took effect. Can the industry recover? It could take years.
NJ Restaurant Association CEO Predicts More Closures
If indoor dining doesn’t return soon. Gov. Phil Murphy surprised restaurant owners who had been preparing for the return of indoor dining on Thursday, July 2, by announcing just four days before that indoor seating would be delayed indefinitely. Having spent money ordering food, retraining workers, and purchasing PPE and cleaning supplies, restaurant owners were justifiably upset when he postponed the restart. Andrea Mitchell of NBC News pressed Murphy on the subject during his appearance on Meet the Press. Murphy said he sympathized with restaurant owners and called on the federal government to send more money to the states so that they could help restaurants. The restaurant association chief says that she has a plan of how to reopen.
I Can’t Survive Until October
NYC restaurants fear delay in indoor dining. It looks as if New Yorkers might have to wait a little longer to book a table inside their favorite restaurant. As states across the U.S. experience an alarming surge of Covid-19 cases after reopening their bars and restaurants, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo said Monday that officials are now considering slowing down the restart of indoor dining in New York City. A delay would be another blow to the city’s beleaguered restaurant industry, which has been gearing up for weeks to reopen on July 6. Its roughly 27,000 establishments have struggled to survive on takeout food and drink orders and, starting last week, limited outdoor seating since the pandemic began.
State Judge Rejects Michigan Restaurants’ COVID-19 Business Interruption Claim
What may be the nation’s first final ruling. A trial court judge in Lansing, Michigan handed a victory to insurers in what may be the nation’s first final ruling on the question of whether a property insurer is liable for financial damages caused by a coronavirus closure order. Judge Joyce Draganchuk of Michigan’s 30th Circuit Court ruled verbally on July 1 that some tangible alteration to a property is required to trigger coverage. What’s more, a virus exclusion in the property insurance policy would have barred coverage even if the claimants had alleged the virus did cause physical damage, the judge said.
Movie Theaters Sue New Jersey
Claiming first amendment right to reopen. A group of movie theater companies — including AMC, Cinemark and Regal — have filed a lawsuit against the governor of New Jersey, claiming a First Amendment right to reopen during the pandemic. The companies, led by the National Association of Theatre Owners, is challenging Gov. Phil Murphy’s order that allows malls, libraries, churches and museums to reopen, but keeps movie theaters and other entertainment venues closed. “Plaintiffs bring this action to ensure that movie theatre are treated equally with other similarly situated places of public assembly, and in order to exercise their First Amendment rights to exhibit films of significant artistic, cultural, political and popular merit,” the lawsuit states.
Mandatory Quarantine into New York, New Jersey and Connecticut?
Good luck. Governors in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have imposed a 14-day quarantine of travelers from COVID-19 hotspots – states with high average infection rates over a rolling window. What are they thinking? The quarantine, labelled as “advisory,” gives each state responsibility for enforcement. However, governors provide no guidance on how to enforce such an advisory. The reason is that such an advisory is unenforceable, and hence, serves no useful purpose.
Did You Know?
New Jersey to require masks outdoors. NewJersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) announced Wednesday that the state will require facial coverings for all outdoor settings where social distancing is not possible, building on an earlier order that required face masks for indoor public spaces. The governor noted that the mandate would not apply to people who were by themselves or in a group of family members, but that facial coverings will be required for those “congregating with a lot of other folks.”
Employee Tip
Trump Administration wants next $1 trillion stimulus package by Aug. 3. President Trump’s administration has set parameters for the next economic stimulus package: It should be passed before the August congressional recess and have a price tag of $1 trillion. Marc Short, Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, told Bloomberg Radio on Tuesday there’s been a “lot of stimulus” pumped into the economy over the past four bills, so $1 trillion is the price tag the White House is eyeing. Unlike in March, when the economy was shutting down, businesses are reopening, and the latest package should target those still bearing the financial brunt of the pandemic.
Bielat Santore & Company – Restaurant Industry Daily Alerts
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A new and exciting update. Keep your eyes open for the release of Bielat Santore & Company’s new E-Book, “100 Days of Darkness,” scheduled to be published within the next two weeks. Once a definite release date is established, you will be able to obtain a copy on the firm’s website, www.123bsc.com.
