Restaurants all over the nation (including Sun Valley) have been forced to shutter their doors. It’s one more slap in the face aspect of the unfortunate times we’re living in. Here in California we are under orders to stay at home and ride out the coronavirus–in hopes of “flattening the curve.”
Physical well-being is the priority as healthcare workers rush to find new treatments for this new virus. However, as many people have stated, the “cure” might be worse than the disease. What kind of economy will we have once we emerge from the shadow of this virus? Will the tens of thousands of restaurants in this country reopen? Will some have been forced to go out of business entirely?
That’s a question that every one of our Sun Valley restaurant owners is asking. The rest of us can help somewhat by ordering out or having food delivered. Others suggest buying restaurant gift cards to use at a later date just to keep some money flowing into restaurants so they can survive.
In Sun Valley, the same as elsewhere, eating establishments play a large role in the economy of a community. Just ask yourself how many Sun Valley restaurants (link) there are and how many each employs? There are owners, wait staff, kitchen staff from chefs to dishwashers. A single restaurant may be the source of livelihood for tens of workers. Multiply that by the number of restaurants and the numbers become all too real.
But there may be some hope on the horizon for our restauranteurs. Some groups are organizing donations in support of our US restaurants. The Eater.com website has recently published a list of organizations that are putting up funds in support of restaurants in an effort to see them through this tough time.
One interesting attempt to help is the Dining Bond Initiative. Diners can buy these “bonds” at a twenty-five percent discount (e.g., $75 for $100 of food) and use them at a later date.
There are other initiatives listed on Eater.com as well and they plan to update the list as new information warrants. I recommend our Sun Valley, CA eateries look into each one and see if they can help.