Connecticut Restaurant Group To Feds: Speed Up Pandemic Aid

CONNECTICUT — The Connecticut Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association, and 50 other "state restaurant association partners" Tuesday sent a letter to Congressional leaders saying that a shift in consumer confidence amid the Delta Variant of the coronavirus points to a need for "swift replenishment" of the federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

According to the restaurant association, Connecticut has more than 2,066 pending applications that total more than $489 million in stabilization funding that would be addressed by the $60 billion proposed replenishment bills.

The letter urges Congress to "complete the mission" of the fund and provide "adequate funds to replenish the program and offer relief for the applications still pending."

Connecticut Restaurant Association Executive Director Scott Dolch said it's been a bout with consternation since the pandemic broke out.

"There are thousands of Connecticut small business owners stuck in limbo waiting to find out if Congress will act to provide the stability they need to make it through this new pandemic threat and into the future," he said. "The rise of coronavirus variants like Delta threaten to push these restaurants closer to permanently closing their doors. It's time for Congress to step in and fulfill the promise of the RRF."

A recently released National Restaurant Association survey found that, nationally, a majority of consumers has already changed its dining behavior, which is beginning to put "acute pressure" back on the restaurant industry, restaurant association officials said.

"This faltering consumer confidence comes on top of restaurant labor costs at a 10-year high, increased food and supply prices, continued indoor capacity limits in 11 states, and crushing long-term debt loads for countless restaurant owners," Dolch said.

Specifically, the survey found:

• Six in 10 adults have changed their restaurant usage due to the rise in the Delta variant
• 19 percent of adults said they have stopped going out to restaurants
• 9 percent of adults said they have canceled existing plans to go out to a restaurant in recent weeks

"For an industry that requires a ‘full house’ every evening to make a profit, this is a dangerous trend," said Sean Kennedy, executive vice president of Public Affairs for the National Restaurant Association. "These changes indicate declining consumer confidence that will make it more difficult for most restaurant owners to maintain their delicate financial stability."

Ruching forward federal assistance is justified, said Chef Miguel Proano, an owner of the Blue Plate Kitchen in West Hartford.

"The replenishment of the RRF would be welcomed by many in our industry," he said. The initial fund was depleted so quickly, and left a lot of businesses without the relief that they were looking for. Unfortunately the waiting list has also become very long. But replenishing the fund would bring relief to many small businesses that have been struggling for the past 18 months — and give them a much-needed injection to be able to pick up their business again. In the restaurant business we are now faced with staff shortages as well as supply chain issues not to mention price increases. So any sort of help would be a welcomed relief."

The survey also showed that:

• 37 percent of adults now order takeout or delivery instead of going out to a restaurant
• 19 percent of adults choose to sit outside instead of inside when going out to a restaurant

Some restaurant owners have taken matters into their own hands in relation to those statistics. Take Cotton Hollow Kitchen in Glastonbury, for example, where donations from customers helped keep the place not only afloat, but the eventual opening of a patio.

Owners have called the move "a true game-changer."

The development comes after many months of restaurant owners working with the town of Glastonbury and the Glastonbury Beautification Committee. Approvals were secured on May 26 and construction began in early July.

"The community knew how much this was going to mean to us. We had a tough year due to the pandemic. The ability to accommodate our guests in a setting that they enjoy will continue to help us keep momentum,” Mark Conley said.

Shortly after they opened their doors in October 2019, the Conleys turned to their guests for support. Following a Facebook post, they received a number of donations, including an anonymous guest who purchased $15,000.00 worth of gift cards.

"It was no surprise to us that when we published the petition to make this patio happen, we received over 1,000 signatures," Joanne Conley said. "That’s just how this community works. When there is a need, neighbors find a way."

"There is nothing better than seeing our guests’ faces light up when they see the patio for the very first time," Mark Conley said. "They love kicking back, relishing in the shade provided by the festive red umbrellas out there and watching the world go by."