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ACT NOW to Tell Congress We Need #RestaurantRelief

April 20, 2020

Dear Operator, 

This weekend we launced our Congressional industry-wide campaign focused on ensuring that Phase IV of the relief package addresses the real needs of our industry, and we NEED YOU TO TAKE ACTION TODAY

While Congress is still working on increasing funding for PPP (what we have referred to as Phase 3.5), it is important that they start hearing from our local industry about the major fixes and overall mechanisms for relief that need to be made. We are including increasing funding for PPP into our campaign, even though it will likely be addressed in the Phase 3.5 vote next week. The remaining major facets of the campaign is what we are advocating to be addressed in Phase IV. 

We all understand that what was passed in the CARES Act was a start, but doesn’t go far enough to address the real needs of our unique industry of independently operated restaurants in our region. This is why it is critical Congress gets Phase IV right and our needs are met, and they need to hear directly from you. 

We have taken all of your feedback and are now putting it into action. We have been working closely with the National Restaurant Association and state partners across the country to share a unified message to Congress. Restaurants are the backbone of the small business community, and the operations of independent restaurants require unique measures of relief.  So let’s tell our leaders how unique we are.  

We need YOU to help us effectively tell this story, by sharing YOUR story.  

There are many messages and campaigns, local and national floating around all touching on similar issues, but in these rapidly evolving times our voice is stronger TOGETHER.  

These seven points are the core of our campaign and will allow us to present a message of unity focused on YOUR issues that will ensure YOU receive meaningful relief. 

Click here for a formal letter we are sending to key members of Congress. 

Seven Anchoring Issues for Independent Restaurants 

  • Provide additional funding for PPP
  • Fix PPP so it works for restaurants 
  • Provide restaurant rent relief 
  • Create fund to cover health insurance 
  • Expand Business Interruption to cover COVID-19
  • Deliver access to capital for reopening
  • Deferral of certain tax payments to provide liquidity

What YOU Need To Do:

  1. We have made it simple for you to get involved! Click here to reach out to the key members of Congress. You will be prompted to send an email (don’t worry we have provided the template, but encourage you to personalize it to really tell your story, with anchoring messages remaining the same) then you will be prompted to easily tweet to the targeted members of Congress, which we strongly encourage you to do. We want to make sure our message is VISIBLE, LOUD, and CLEAR.  Share this with your friends, colleagues, partners, and neighbors. 
  2. Click here for the toolkit of artwork that can be used on your Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. We need this campaign to be VISIBLE, so we encourage you to share this on your social media.
  3. If you have any personal relationships with members of Congress, now is the time to reach out to them directly, and tell them your story, and share the anchoring industry message. We are lucky that our hometown is their adopted hometown, so let’s use that to our advantage.

Parallel to the efforts to have our voices heard with key members of Congress, we are also designing a blueprint to be shared with local leaders in DC, MD and VA that will include recommendations for consideration in the form of additional protections, provisions and added relief that will be needed to sustain and restart our local foodservice economy.  

All efforts are needed, but right now is the time to weigh in BIG TIME with Congress to make sure they are hearing directly from YOU as we only have a two week window to be LOUD, UNITED and COORDINATED in message.  Click here to make some noise! 

Thank you for your advocacy!  We are all in this together. 

Best,

Kathy