Closed Food Businesses, Restaurants Look for Ways to Carry On

(Bloomberg) -- The food world continues to be rocked by the effects of the corona virus. In the 20-plus years I've covered the national restaurant scene, no event has come close to changing the culinary landscape as thoroughly as this already has. (For a devastating 360-degree view of the effects, look no further than Gabrielle Hamilton's eyewitness account in the New York Times.)

In the past weeks, I've reported on how some are fighting to survive.

1. Saving Small Businesses One Mail-Order Cheesesteak at a Time
Countless small businesses have been forced to shutter since the coronavirus outbreak. But some, including  Pat’s King of Steaks, the 24/7 Philadelphia cheesesteak institution, and New York landmark Ess-a-Bagel, have continued turning out their specialties, thanks to the online gourmet food store Goldbelly.

2. Restaurant Programs Aim to Save Industry From Virus Devastation
In response to restaurant closures across the U.S., to comply with sheltering and lockdown orders, industry activists are working to support imperiled, independently owned restaurants. Dining Bonds is an initiative started by hospitality executives. The model is simple: A $100 “bond” will be sold for $75 and can be cashed in for full value after the redemption date.

3. How You Can Help Support Workers in Virus-Stricken Restaurant Industry
An estimated two-thirds of the country’s eateries are independently owned, which means that a vast number of the industry’s 15 million workers have lost their jobs. Support for vulnerable restaurant workers—many of whom work, not just paycheck-to-paycheck but hour-to-hour—is crucial. Countless efforts are under way.

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