An Insider’s Take: COVID-19 and Crisis in Restaurants
I understand that, in writing something like this, I run a risk of feeding into the sensationalization of the current situation, and that certain parties have not practiced sober-mindedness in reporting the state of things.
However, as someone who feels love for the restaurant industry and now whose life is also entangled with the state of other hospitality workers, I find it appropriate to speak out about what it feels like from the inside.
A Look Into Restaurants: Magic
In the last year of working in restaurants, I’ve become incredibly disillusioned with the industry as a whole. Regardless of all my qualms, however, I still find something magical about restaurants: when done right, a restaurant service feels like a beautifully coordinated dance — a choreographic performance between the kitchen, the waitstaff, and even the strangers who come in. And I’ve had the privilege of working under those who work to perfect it.
To give you an insider’s look.
There is subtlety to good service: no one can notice that they are being monitored so that their napkins may be refolded once they leave their seat. Coats must be ready at the door for guests when they leave (and we watch you for that as well). At some restaurants, waiters — “captains” as they are sometimes called now — “fire” the next course once guests are close to finishing their current course. Everything must be discreet and effortless.
And then there is the kitchen staff. After working tirelessly against the clock for 10–16 hours a day, much of their disposable income is spent on dining experiences beyond their budget. It is further thrown on purchasing expensive knives with money scraped from their barely-above-minimum-wage pay (yes, even in fine dining). They probably experience the most chronic pain out of the healthy population in our society, yet are the least likely to receive insured medical care.
A common phrase in the industry is that our work is a “labor of love.” Meaning, of course, that what we do must come from appreciating the art of food and service, as there really isn’t that much pay off for those of us in it.
Ramifications of the Current Situation
Over the last few days, those of us working in the service industry has experienced a massive shift in our lived realities. I feel disbelief, like watching your parents, who often felt bigger-than-life, suddenly fall apart over some unexpected health condition.
As one of the administrative members of a restaurant group ‘giant’ in Chicago, I can testify that our losses have been lethal and came rapidly, a bulk of them occurring within the last 72 hours. Our ownership is now taking last resort measures in a move to salvage what we can — for instance, furloughing all employee payroll for the time being (they have agreed to continue paying the company’s portion of employee health benefits.)
This is concerning for a number of reasons.
Restaurants as a whole do not have high profit margins—most fall under 3% to 5%. If a restaurant pays $95,000 for rent, utilities, ingredients, licenses, etc. every month, they will need $100,000 back from their customers. In this scenario, their profit is $5,000. If 50% of their customers do not show up or 25% of their seating is forfeited to create more space in the restaurant, they are essentially wiping out previous months’ profit and, within a short time, become susceptible to filing for bankruptcy (Update: as of now, most restaurants are not operating. Everyone is losing jobs).
Instability in the hospitality industry will have catastrophic impacts on the labor market. 15 million+ people are employed in 1 million+ restaurant locations in the United States. The restaurant workforce makes up roughly 10% of the overall U.S. workforce — and it does not even account for people in tourism, events, entertainment, theatre, retail, and so on.
To make matters worse, those working in the industry as hourly workers are often without health insurance (only 16%, according to this article published by the Economic Policy Institute). They are paid subminimum wage and many live paycheck to paycheck. Even for cities that are implementing temporary closures, such as Chicago and New York, it is already proving to be incredibly damaging to individual lives.
“Labor of love”: A Bullshit Notion
There is a premise in the concept of “labor of love” that workers are expected to expend more than they are given. I have seen this notion play out again and again in practice.
If we apply this idea into basic labor-wage logic, however, it is inherently exploitative; we accept a higher level of [financial] selflessness from service workers with the flawed logic that it is implied in the nature of their jobs. However, in the playing field of business, commodifying “service” should change our understanding of hospitality. We simply cannot use the term “hospitality” unequivocally both in a home and business context because it results in exploitative understandings of service workers’ labor.
In the current economic downturn, we are seeing the grim implications of an industry that has failed to protect the financial success of its employees (According to the same 2014 article by the Economic Policy Institute, 1 in 6 employees are below the poverty line).
The question that follows this conversation: with the difficult situations that businesses face in breaking-even at the end of the month, should it be on independent businesses to provide adequate pay and employee benefits? That is a business and public policy question that I cannot answer.
How to Help: Contact Our Politicians
I believe that, in the end, closing restaurants, bars, event venues, and so on, is right thing to do.
I am brokenhearted for the millions of vulnerable people affected by this pandemic. I believe that, in the end, closing restaurants, bars, event venues, and so on, is the right thing to do. I also would like to do everything necessary to avoid a catastrophic public health scenario.
This whole ordeal, however, does expose a fundamental issue in the restaurant and, furthermore, the hospitality industry. My hope in the next few years is that our society experiences a surge in awareness of service workers' rights through actions for increased compensation, government benefits, and so on. This requires, however, a shift in our cultural understanding about what we believe people in the labor market deserve to have.
For now, please keep updated with your local businesses. Many of them are facing uncertain futures. A group of independent restaurant owners and chefs in Illinois have collectively urged Senator Pritzker, for example, to do the following:
- “Immediately support emergency unemployment benefits to all hourly and salaried workers furloughed during this crisis”
- “Eliminate all payroll tax immediately”
- “Call for rent and loan abatement for workers impacted by the closure of the restaurant industry”
If you can contact your governor's office, please do. Below is the contact information for the Illinois governor, J.B. Pritzker:
- Contact Form
- Chicago Office, Phone: 312–814–2121
[UPDATE, March 17th]: link to a list of Relief Funds to support businesses by eater.com
