Clark County’s pandemic assistance for restaurants is reasonable and necessary. Whether it is enough remains to be seen.
The county council this week approved $1.36 million in aid for establishments that have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Restaurants throughout Washington were ordered closed to in-person dining in March; in Clark County, they now are allowed to operate at 50 percent indoor seating capacity, and many have expanded outside eating areas.
The funds come from $26,867,500 that Clark County received through the federal CARES Act — Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security. Restaurants will receive money matching what they paid for this year’s retail food permit, ranging from $258 to $1,835. Catering companies and event vendors, along with mobile food units, also are eligible for assistance.
“It’s not much, but it’s something, and I know that every little bit helps,” County Councilor Julie Olson said. “And hopefully, we won’t lose a large number of more restaurants as we try to finish this year and get through this crisis.”
In Clark County, several high-profile restaurants have permanently closed since the beginning of the pandemic. The county Public Health Department reports that 73 food permits have closed since January, but that more than 1,700 remain active. Some establishments have been approved for deferred or partial permit payments.
From the beginning of the pandemic, restaurants and bars have been a bit of a canary in the coal mine. They were among the first businesses to be ordered closed, and The Week reports that food-service employees accounted for 60 percent of early unemployment claims. Last month, ABC News reported, “The restaurant industry now reflects the highest total businesses closures, recently surpassing retail.”
Restaurant workers typically do not have employer-provided health insurance and in many states do not receive paid sick leave — providing incentive for ill employees to show up for work. In July, The Week reported: “Federal guidelines for bolstering kitchen sanitation are vague and voluntary, and states differ on what, if anything, restaurants must do when workers fall ill.”
On top of that, closures or slowdowns in the restaurant industry create a domino effect that impacts vendors ranging from equipment providers to uniform companies to food suppliers.
Nationally, restaurants employ 15.6 million workers and annually generate $900 billion in revenue during a normal year. But they typically operate on a thin profit margin that leaves them particularly vulnerable to economic downturns. Industry expert Andrew Zimmern calls the pandemic “an extinction event for independent restaurants.”
That could lead to innovation. Fish Tales, a restaurant in Ocean City, Md., created standing “bumper tables” wrapped in large plastic bubbles to keep diners at least 6 feet apart. (The establishment closed from July 10-27 after three employees tested positive for COVID-19).
Such extreme measures have not been tried in Clark County, but numerous restaurants have taken advantage of an initiative to add outdoor tables in parking spaces along sidewalks. Ideally, that will help weather the storm of the pandemic, but it will not be tenable when rainy season arrives.
Local restaurants can apply for assistance from the county either online or by telephone. It’s all part of a new reality as they try to keep their doors open and their employees working.
