You are here

Coordinated Message & Mobilization

April 2, 2020

Today we need your input as we continue our local and national advocacy efforts for relief for our industry. We know the relief outlined in the CARES Act does not go far enough to support restaurants, and that implementation is flawed when applied to our unique industry.  It is important to note that while drafting Phase III (CARES Act), Congress always knew there would be a Phase IV of relief, so some relief measures and issues were punted to Phase IV. They also neglected to consider how long a business may be disrupted to reflect timelines and look backs that are relevant as it aims to forgive and relieve. Now we need to make them correct what is wrong, refine what is unclear, and improve what is intended to be helpful. We need you to weigh in and tell us how these relief measures can be improved to be most beneficial to your business.

Our goal is to consolidate your feedback with what we have heard locally and nationally to develop specific asks as legislators go into Phase IV. These asks will become a coordinated message and used for a direct outreach campaign that we will share with all of you as we mobilize our local industry to ensure our voices are heard on the national level.  We are working with partner cities and states across the country, non-profits, and small business coalitions regionally, and our partners at the National Restaurant Association, to elevate our collective voice to make the most noise and ensure we are heard by Congress on this next round of legislation. 

The three issues below are the recurring concerns that have been raised by all of you so far. These will be the anchors for the industry message and will guide our collective asks to legislators.

  1. Payroll Protection Program: Provide more flexibility and relevant timeline for the forgiveness period that is based on when business is permitted to resume regular operations.
  2. Rent Abatement: Establish a fund that provides support to small business renters and landlords that allows for meaningful rent abatement.
  3. Business Interruption Insurance: Creation of a fund that expands BI to include this public health crisis.

But we need more. Once we have your feedback, we will be crafting a ready-to-use advocacy campaign for you to share on your social media platforms. We will also mobilize industry to text, email, and Tweet the appropriate elected officials easily through our Phone2Action platform.

Click here to share your feedback with us and to tell us what else should be included in Phase IV. Please do not send your feedback directly to me, but instead through this link.

Let’s make them get it right and give us the relief we need.

Best,
Kathy