by liberal japonicus
This article from the Asia-Pacific Journal is a nice look at subject that might give folks interesting perspectives on their local food scene. My takeaway is that it is a lot more complicated and we are going to be dealing with the fallout for a long time afterward.
Fascinating read.
I was struck by the number of small business proprietors in their seventies.
Posted by: Nigel | October 20, 2020 at 01:31 AM
My sense is that the situation is much the same here. Small restaurants turn over all the time. But this year, we see zero starts to go with (make up for) the drops.
As the article notes, this percolates right back up the supply chain. And rebuilding those businesses will be a much bigger, slower, process than starting a new restaurant. Which can't start in any significant amount without that supply chain in some form or another.
The other impact is on the folks who depend on those restaurant jobs. And the businesses which make ends meet because their employees have second jobs in restaurants. Ripples in both directions.
Posted by: wj | October 20, 2020 at 02:04 AM
Restaurants, and also live music venues and the people who perform in them, also live theater and dance venues and performers, also the film industry and the theaters that show films. And all of the large and varied communities of people who work in them. Many millions of them.
A lot of all of that will spring back eventually, a lot won't.
Posted by: russell | October 20, 2020 at 10:15 PM
Salem MA shuts down for Halloween.
This is approximately like NOLA shutting down for Mardi Gras.
Lotta people gonna lose a lot of money, but a lotta people are also not gonna get sick.
We all make our choices. Our governor and mayor are opting for public safety.
Makes sense to me.
Posted by: russell | October 21, 2020 at 04:49 PM