#114: $7 Billion & 1.4 Million CA Restaurant Jobs At-Risk

Restaurants are one of the strongest backbones of our community because of how many roles they serve beyond providing sustenance to patrons. They act as a third space for gathering & connecting, they employ tens of millions in the US, they provide tax revenue for our states & local communities, and beyond.

FOODBEAST Co-Founder Geoff Kutnick talks to the President & CEO of the California Restaurant Association, an advocacy group for the restaurant industry with access to many of the forefront politicians reacting to the new economic environment like Governor Gavin Newsom, and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti.

We talk about the ever-slimming margins of restaurants (25:15), how ‘over-built’ the overall restaurant industry was (28:00), how the lost sales tax will affect local communities (34:17), how there are more costs eating up the restaurant ‘pie’ (36:48) and more.

Kutnick also talks to Alycia Harshfield, the Executive Director of Restaurants Care, the non-profit arm of the California Restaurant Association funding restaurant employees directly affected by the Coronavirus. Restaurant Care has received thousands upon thousands of grant requests (47:32), but also have been bolstered by major donations like the $100,000 it received from Skrewball Whiskey Peanut Butter Whiskey (50:12).

Thank you all so much for listening! Please review this podcast on Apple Podcasts, follow @foodbeastkatchup on Instagram and connect with our hosts below:

Elie Ayrouth: @bookofelie on IG & Twitter

Geoff Kutnick: @geoffkutnick on IG & Twitter

FOODBEAST: @foodbeast on Facebook, IG, Twitter, YouTube & Twitch

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