Interview: COVID-19 and dining out

Sonseeahray Tonsall reports

RESTAURANT OWNERS HAVE A LOTON THEIR PLATES NAVIGATINGCHANGING REGULATIONS FOR HOWTO BE ABLE TO OPERATE DURINGTHE PANDEMIC AT ALL.MOVING OPERATIONS OUTSIDEAND NOW THE CENTERS FORDISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTIONHAS RELEASED A STUDY THATSEEMS TO MAKE DINING OUTPERIOD, SOME OF THE VERY RISKYTHING TO DO DURING THEPANDEMIC THE CDC'S FINDINGSINDICATE THAT OUT OF 314PEOPLE THEY STUDIED IN JULY INCALIFORNIA AND 9 OTHER STATESDALTON THE GROUP WHO TESTEDPOSITIVE WERE TWICE AS LIKELYTO HAVE REPORTED DINING ATRESTAURANTS IN THE LAST 2WEEKS BEFORE GETTING SICK ANDWE'RE TALKING ABOUT INDOORPATIO OR OUTDOOR.

THERESTAURANT INDUSTRY IS RAILINGAGAINST THIS STUDY IN HEREWITH US THIS MORNING AS THEPRESIDENT AND CEO OF THECALIFORNIA RESTAURANTASSOCIATION JOT CONDI WELCOMETO FOX 40 NEWS AT 11.

THANKSFOR HAVING ME.

SO WHAT'S YOURREACTION TO ALL OF THIS WITHTHE STUDY.WELL I IT WAS A STUDY THATAND ESSENTIALLY IDENTIFIED 11LOCATIONS NATIONALLY SO IF YOUJUST LOOK AT THAT THE SHEERNUMBER OF LOCATIONS THAT THEYWERE FOCUSED THAT THAT DOESN'TNECESSARILY REPRESENT WHATWE'RE SEEING NATIONALLY AND ITHINK ARE NOTABLY.

THE STUDYDID VARIOUS FLAWS IN THEIRREPORT.

BUT ONE OF THE FLIESTHAT THEY ACKNOWLEDGE WAS THATWHEN YOU GO INTO THIS STUDY ASTHEY INTERVIEW INDIVIDUALS WHOSAID THEY BEEN IT RESTAURANTS.WHAT WERE CAREFUL TO NOTE WASTHAT THE RESTAURANTS THAT THEYWERE IN THEY DIDN'T WITNESSANY SOCIAL DISTANCING ORSAFETY MEASURES BEING TAKEN SOIF THAT'S THE CASE THAT'S NOTWHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WETHINK THAT THERE SAY THERE ARESAFE WAYS OPEN DINING ROOMSHIM IN RESTAURANTS AND WE HAVESEEN THIS IN 17 OTHER STATESIN THE COUNTRY AND CERTAINLYIN STATES AROUND US LIKEOREGON, WASHINGTON ARIZONA,NEW MEXICO.AND YOU JUST POINTED OUTSOME OF THE THINGS I WAS GOINGTO ASK YOU ABOUT WHAT MAYBEWASN'T DONE RIGHT WITH THISTODAY, ANDERSON ALSORESEARCHERS INVOLVED DIDN'TMAKE ANY DISTINCTION BETWEENSOMEONE WHO WENT TO A BARWHERE BARS ARE OPEN AND PEOPLEWHO WENT TO A COFFEE COFFEESHOP WAS A VERY DIFFERENTENVIRONMENTS.YEAH, THEY DIDN'T MAKE ADISTINCTION BETWEEN THE 2 ITSEEMED AS THOUGH THEY LOVETHOSE 2 CATEGORIES TOGETHERAND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE THEDYNAMIC THAT EXISTS IN ABARBER SAYS THE COFFEE SHOP ISWILDLY DIFFERENT.

BUT I THINKALSO NOTABLY THE ONE OF THETHE ONLY SITE IN CALIFORNIAWHERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDYWAS A PULLOUT WHICH IS INSANTA CLARA AND RESTAURANTS INSANTA CLARA BEEN CLOSED SINCEMARCH.

THE DINING ROOM SO ITDOESN'T.

ITS SURVEY HEADSCRATCHER FOR US.

THINK THEYWOULD PICK THAT LOCATION.NATIONALLY RESTAURANTREVENUES ARE DOWN ABOUT 51%FROM THIS TIME LAST YEAR,POWER CALIFORNIA'S RESTAURANTSDOING ARE YOU TRACKING HOWMANY MEN MANY OF YOUR MEMBERSIS DECIDED TO MAYBE CLOSEPERMANENTLY GIVEN THEPANDEMIC.WELL IT'S IT'S CATASTROPHICCOMING.

I THINK THAT WHEN THISFIRST STARTED WE WEREPREDICTING ABOUT 30% OF THEINDUSTRY WOULD SURVIVE AND WEFEAR, GIVEN THAT THERE'S BEENYOU REOPENING AND THEN THECLOSURE AGAIN AND NOW WE'RE ONTHE VERGE OF SECOND REOPENING.WE DON'T THINK THE INDUSTRYCAN WITHSTAND A SECONDS OR 3RDCLOSURE SO IT COULD BE NORTHOF 40% OF THE DAY THERE'S THATSORT OF NEW LEVEL OFCATASTROPHE.

I THAT WE'RE DAYSAWAY FROM THE VAST MAJORITY OFRESTAURANTS IN CALIFORNIA.80%.

OUR GOAL GOING TO RUN OUTOF THEIR PPP FUNDS BY THE ENDOF THE MONTH AND FOR MANYRESTAURANTS, THOSE FUNDS THATTHEY RECEIVE THOSE LOANS FROMTHE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAVEALLOWED THEM TO OPERATE IN AVERY LIMITED CAPACITY AND STAYAFLOAT WITH YOU KNOW OUTDOORDINING ONLY IN MOST COUNTIESAND A PICKUP AND DELIVERYBUSINESS THAT'S NOT GOING TOSUPPORT THEIR OPERATIONS ANDSO AS THEY RUN OUT OF THOSEFUNDS.

THERE'S GOING TO NEEDTO BE.

A RECONSIDERATION THEOPENING OF RESTAURANTS ANDBUSINESSES IN CALIFORNIA.MY GOODNESS AND WE'RE JUSTABOUT OUT OF TIME, BUT WE KNOWLAWMAKERS ARE WORKING ON THERESTAURANT ACT TO GET A120 BILLION DOLLARS OUT TOSOME OF THE BUSINESSES THATYOU JUST MENTIONED THAT AREABOUT TO RUN OUT OF THOSE PPB