June 26, 2020 • 7 mins
Robert Irvine, Celebrity Chef and Host of "Restaurant: Impossible" discusses how restaurants can safely reopen in light of current coronavirus health concerns. He also shares his outlook for the future of the industry.
Hosts: Carol Massar and Jason Kelly. Producer: Doni Holloway.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Messer and Jason
Kelly on Bloomberg Radio. Jason, New York City is going
to start third phase of the reopening that happens July six.
So that means indoor dining capacity is limited to maximum
occupancy and all tables must be at least six ft apart.
So lots of rules and regulations, but it's slowly happening.
(00:22):
We've talked a lot about the hospitality space and dining space.
Back with Us is not back with us? With us
is A respected voice in the restaurant world is Robert Irvine.
He's cheff and host of Restaurant Impossible, back for a
new season in fact, on the phone joining us from Akron, Ohio.
Nice to have you here with us. How are you?
How's your world? Caroline? Doing great? Thank you on mind
(00:45):
doing what I do best? Restaurants? Well, tell well, tell
us about that. Tell us what are you reopening and
how's that going? Well? We're on a trip. I can
tell you on the project to open six plus restaurants
in the last four weeks or three weeks, I should say, um.
But it's really interesting because you talk about the space
(01:06):
and talk about New York City opening dining in I've
been in Mississippi this week where there's a hundred options
depending on what where you where you are in that state. Um,
and I gotta tell you it's it's interesting trying to
get to consumer confidence back that is that is the
biggest problem we we have. You know, COVID nineteen here
(01:27):
in March, eleven million workers or food and beverage and
hospitality workers go out of work. Hundred eighty four plus
countries shut down, and people are scared. People are fearful
of restaurants. So Robert, how do you make them feel better? Like, like,
what's the what's the way? I mean, obviously people want
to be safe and they don't want to get sick.
(01:48):
But is there something you can do or say? What
are what's the thing that you can tell people to
make them feel better? Yeah, Well, first of all, we
have we have something called transparency. We have to be
transpiratory what we're doing in the restaurants to be able
to make sure that those are employees are safe and
the consumers safe, you know, accountability and health and safety.
(02:10):
We have a duty of care and responsibility to both
of those employees and the customers. I mean, I'd come
up with an amazing group of people, not just myself,
with a project and an app called Virus Safe pro
taking protocols that we would have in those respective restaurants, hotels, motels,
(02:30):
and bars and putting into an app very simple to use, um,
but it really is how do we how do we
let people know that we're doing the jobs that we'll
say we're doing. And everybody's been to an airport, everybody's
doing to a bar, and you can see those checklists
on the door said, oh we've done this, We've cleaned,
we cleaned the restroom, We've done this, we've done that. Well,
(02:52):
you know if if if you don't do it, what happens?
People get sick on the virus state pro Literally, I
can g tag you. So if you're smoking a cigarette
outside and you're saying you're cleaning the bridge rator, I
can say, well, you haven't clean your rebridge rator. Why
haven't you done it? You know again, it's accountability. Well,
you know, Robert, I was just thinking listening to you,
(03:13):
it's no different from kind of the restaurant ratings that
we see in New York City. ABC. Combine that with
the thinking of like an uber and lift where there's
you know, an app where if you go to a
restaurant and you right away or or or I'm thinking
even some of the you know the food apps, you
know you rate it right away about what your experience was. Um,
(03:33):
there's a way of all of us kind of contributing
to this to make sure it's safe for everyone. Yeah,
and that's what exactly what virus they pro is. It's
a mobile help checklist ver verification software. That's what it does.
It tells me that I've cleaned something, and it tells
you that it's been done like those just like those
(03:54):
ratings that you you know, once there is a verification
check on the outside of your restaurant the wind though.
It's really simple. Folks can take the phone check or
take a photograph and very trying the QR code and
it tells me exactly what's happened in that restaurant at
that day, so I feel safe. All the protocols, the
gloves of the mass of social distances, the refrigerator that
(04:17):
was checked to make sure that it was in temperature,
that this one was doing, the toilet this one was doing, say, etcetera, etcetera.
At the end of the day, we're going to make
sure that the employees are following and performing all of
those mandated measures and protocols that we set in place. Otherwise,
nobody's going to those restaurants unless we get that consumer
confidence back and we show that we're doing the right things.
(04:40):
But they're not coming back. We're not making money, and
especially especially as now we're you're talking about fifty New
York City where I am here, it's only twenty five percent,
So we've got to make up all that money for
the other semi fiber and you'll take fift. So where's
the revenue coming from? So I've gotta look at We've
got to look at how the hours extended we are.
We've got a ton of the revenue sources coming in.
(05:02):
Is it carry out? Is it liqutor, is it you
know all those things. And if people are not visiting,
we're going out of business. And that's my biggest concern.
Thirty of mom and pop businesses will not be able
to make it through this coronavirus pandemic. You think of
this of the smaller sort of single owned restaurants, yes,
totally wow. So what is the restaurant feel like you
(05:26):
know all if all the safety protocols are followed, Robert,
how different does it feel if I'm walking in to
have dinner. Well, it gives you. If you if you
check on the QUOD number one and you know that
these protocols have been followed, you're still going to be
met by somebody that's wearing a mask, which is very
unusual for us. We're not used to that, or or
(05:48):
a visor in some cases, and I've seen both. Um,
it's very unnerving. But once you get used to sitting
down in the server talking to you, you have to
have a mask on this. This the server bring is
the clean food. Somebody else comes along and removes the
dirty plates. Um, a completely different person by the way. Um,
and these are these are that's a new norm. I
(06:10):
don't think it's going to change until we have a vaccine,
and even then, I still believe these protocols will be
in place. And those that don't follow these protocols, we've
seen what's been happening in those states that have not
been wearing masks and not been doing these things. There's
a there's a reassurgence of the pandemic. Coronavirus is coming back,
and I've already seen in certain places in Tampa. There's
(06:32):
some places or St. Pete speech, I'm sorry that are
closed because of that. So you know, we really have
a and I say this world because we use it
in the military or the sentence and duty of care,
our responsibility to make sure that we make you feel safe.
I do feel like we're living in an era where
there's a lot of responsibility upon all of us to
change a lot in our world. M Robert, thank you
(06:55):
so much, Robert round chef and a host of Restaurant
Impossible joining us on the phone from seventeen season. I know,
I know. Yeah, it's pretty much longevity in this media world. Yeah,
that stuck with me and that mom pop restaurants will
not make it through k Crater our restaurant critic uh
an expert. She's been talking to us about how hard
(07:15):
hit that industry is going to be
This is Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Messer and Jason
Kelly on Bloomberg Radio. Jason, New York City is going
to start third phase of the reopening that happens July six.
So that means indoor dining capacity is limited to maximum
occupancy and all tables must be at least six ft apart.
So lots of rules and regulations, but it's slowly happening.
(00:22):
We've talked a lot about the hospitality space and dining space.
Back with Us is not back with us? With us
is A respected voice in the restaurant world is Robert Irvine.
He's cheff and host of Restaurant Impossible, back for a
new season in fact, on the phone joining us from Akron, Ohio.
Nice to have you here with us. How are you?
How's your world? Caroline? Doing great? Thank you on mind
(00:45):
doing what I do best? Restaurants? Well, tell well, tell
us about that. Tell us what are you reopening and
how's that going? Well? We're on a trip. I can
tell you on the project to open six plus restaurants
in the last four weeks or three weeks, I should say, um.
But it's really interesting because you talk about the space
(01:06):
and talk about New York City opening dining in I've
been in Mississippi this week where there's a hundred options
depending on what where you where you are in that state. Um,
and I gotta tell you it's it's interesting trying to
get to consumer confidence back that is that is the
biggest problem we we have. You know, COVID nineteen here
(01:27):
in March, eleven million workers or food and beverage and
hospitality workers go out of work. Hundred eighty four plus
countries shut down, and people are scared. People are fearful
of restaurants. So Robert, how do you make them feel better? Like, like,
what's the what's the way? I mean, obviously people want
to be safe and they don't want to get sick.
(01:48):
But is there something you can do or say? What
are what's the thing that you can tell people to
make them feel better? Yeah, Well, first of all, we
have we have something called transparency. We have to be
transpiratory what we're doing in the restaurants to be able
to make sure that those are employees are safe and
the consumers safe, you know, accountability and health and safety.
(02:10):
We have a duty of care and responsibility to both
of those employees and the customers. I mean, I'd come
up with an amazing group of people, not just myself,
with a project and an app called Virus Safe pro
taking protocols that we would have in those respective restaurants, hotels, motels,
(02:30):
and bars and putting into an app very simple to use, um,
but it really is how do we how do we
let people know that we're doing the jobs that we'll
say we're doing. And everybody's been to an airport, everybody's
doing to a bar, and you can see those checklists
on the door said, oh we've done this, We've cleaned,
we cleaned the restroom, We've done this, we've done that. Well,
(02:52):
you know if if if you don't do it, what happens?
People get sick on the virus state pro Literally, I
can g tag you. So if you're smoking a cigarette
outside and you're saying you're cleaning the bridge rator, I
can say, well, you haven't clean your rebridge rator. Why
haven't you done it? You know again, it's accountability. Well,
you know, Robert, I was just thinking listening to you,
(03:13):
it's no different from kind of the restaurant ratings that
we see in New York City. ABC. Combine that with
the thinking of like an uber and lift where there's
you know, an app where if you go to a
restaurant and you right away or or or I'm thinking
even some of the you know the food apps, you
know you rate it right away about what your experience was. Um,
(03:33):
there's a way of all of us kind of contributing
to this to make sure it's safe for everyone. Yeah,
and that's what exactly what virus they pro is. It's
a mobile help checklist ver verification software. That's what it does.
It tells me that I've cleaned something, and it tells
you that it's been done like those just like those
(03:54):
ratings that you you know, once there is a verification
check on the outside of your restaurant the wind though.
It's really simple. Folks can take the phone check or
take a photograph and very trying the QR code and
it tells me exactly what's happened in that restaurant at
that day, so I feel safe. All the protocols, the
gloves of the mass of social distances, the refrigerator that
(04:17):
was checked to make sure that it was in temperature,
that this one was doing, the toilet this one was doing, say, etcetera, etcetera.
At the end of the day, we're going to make
sure that the employees are following and performing all of
those mandated measures and protocols that we set in place. Otherwise,
nobody's going to those restaurants unless we get that consumer
confidence back and we show that we're doing the right things.
(04:40):
But they're not coming back. We're not making money, and
especially especially as now we're you're talking about fifty New
York City where I am here, it's only twenty five percent,
So we've got to make up all that money for
the other semi fiber and you'll take fift. So where's
the revenue coming from? So I've gotta look at We've
got to look at how the hours extended we are.
We've got a ton of the revenue sources coming in.
(05:02):
Is it carry out? Is it liqutor, is it you
know all those things. And if people are not visiting,
we're going out of business. And that's my biggest concern.
Thirty of mom and pop businesses will not be able
to make it through this coronavirus pandemic. You think of
this of the smaller sort of single owned restaurants, yes,
totally wow. So what is the restaurant feel like you
(05:26):
know all if all the safety protocols are followed, Robert,
how different does it feel if I'm walking in to
have dinner. Well, it gives you. If you if you
check on the QUOD number one and you know that
these protocols have been followed, you're still going to be
met by somebody that's wearing a mask, which is very
unusual for us. We're not used to that, or or
(05:48):
a visor in some cases, and I've seen both. Um,
it's very unnerving. But once you get used to sitting
down in the server talking to you, you have to
have a mask on this. This the server bring is
the clean food. Somebody else comes along and removes the
dirty plates. Um, a completely different person by the way. Um,
and these are these are that's a new norm. I
(06:10):
don't think it's going to change until we have a vaccine,
and even then, I still believe these protocols will be
in place. And those that don't follow these protocols, we've
seen what's been happening in those states that have not
been wearing masks and not been doing these things. There's
a there's a reassurgence of the pandemic. Coronavirus is coming back,
and I've already seen in certain places in Tampa. There's
(06:32):
some places or St. Pete speech, I'm sorry that are
closed because of that. So you know, we really have
a and I say this world because we use it
in the military or the sentence and duty of care,
our responsibility to make sure that we make you feel safe.
I do feel like we're living in an era where
there's a lot of responsibility upon all of us to
change a lot in our world. M Robert, thank you
(06:55):
so much, Robert round chef and a host of Restaurant
Impossible joining us on the phone from seventeen season. I know,
I know. Yeah, it's pretty much longevity in this media world. Yeah,
that stuck with me and that mom pop restaurants will
not make it through k Crater our restaurant critic uh
an expert. She's been talking to us about how hard
(07:15):
hit that industry is going to be
Hosts And Creators
Tim Stenovec
Carol Massar
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