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| Restaurant Closings Inflict Collateral Damage on Other Businesses | Restaurant Closings Inflict Collateral Damage on Other Businesses |
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| Mark and Kerry Marhefka were feeling optimistic about the future of their 15-year-old business, Abundant Seafood, when they opened their first processing plant this month in North Charleston, S.C. | Mark and Kerry Marhefka were feeling optimistic about the future of their 15-year-old business, Abundant Seafood, when they opened their first processing plant this month in North Charleston, S.C. |
| Mr. Marhefka catches vermilion snapper, triggerfish, banded runnerfish and several kinds of grouper on two-hook lines he drops into the Atlantic from the side of his 39-foot boat. He and his wife, Kerry, sell those fish directly to some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the Southeast — Husk, Fig and the Ordinary in Charleston, for instance, and the Grey in Savannah, Ga. | Mr. Marhefka catches vermilion snapper, triggerfish, banded runnerfish and several kinds of grouper on two-hook lines he drops into the Atlantic from the side of his 39-foot boat. He and his wife, Kerry, sell those fish directly to some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the Southeast — Husk, Fig and the Ordinary in Charleston, for instance, and the Grey in Savannah, Ga. |
| The fish are sold whole. This has held back their company’s growth because few restaurants have a cook who knows how to clean and cut fish. The new plant, built with money the Marhefkas had put aside over the years, was going to change that. They hired eight people to carve fillets, clean whole fish that could go straight on the grill, pack seafood orders or to work in a small retail shop out front. Their first day was March 15. | The fish are sold whole. This has held back their company’s growth because few restaurants have a cook who knows how to clean and cut fish. The new plant, built with money the Marhefkas had put aside over the years, was going to change that. They hired eight people to carve fillets, clean whole fish that could go straight on the grill, pack seafood orders or to work in a small retail shop out front. Their first day was March 15. |
| Two days later, Gov. Henry McMaster shut down all restaurants and bars in the state except for takeout and delivery. Orders from restaurants, normally 80 percent of the Marhefkas’ sales, stopped almost entirely. | Two days later, Gov. Henry McMaster shut down all restaurants and bars in the state except for takeout and delivery. Orders from restaurants, normally 80 percent of the Marhefkas’ sales, stopped almost entirely. |
| “There are some restaurants trying the takeaway thing, so they are buying a little,” Ms. Marhefka said Friday. “We had two orders go out to restaurants this morning. I would never think there would be a time when I would be excited about two orders.” | “There are some restaurants trying the takeaway thing, so they are buying a little,” Ms. Marhefka said Friday. “We had two orders go out to restaurants this morning. I would never think there would be a time when I would be excited about two orders.” |
| As dining rooms in 15 states and some individual counties and cities have gone dark, the first to feel the impact were restaurant employees and owners. In a letter to the president and congressional leaders asking for financial and tax relief, the National Restaurant Association said it expected five to seven million restaurant jobs would be lost because of the coronavirus pandemic. | As dining rooms in 15 states and some individual counties and cities have gone dark, the first to feel the impact were restaurant employees and owners. In a letter to the president and congressional leaders asking for financial and tax relief, the National Restaurant Association said it expected five to seven million restaurant jobs would be lost because of the coronavirus pandemic. |
| But the pain is also radiating out to the thousands of small companies across the country that, like Abundant Seafood, rely on restaurants for most or all of their sales. The size of this indirect economy is unknown, but independent restaurants can spend anywhere from just under 20 percent to more than 30 percent of their revenue on food, alcohol and other goods. | But the pain is also radiating out to the thousands of small companies across the country that, like Abundant Seafood, rely on restaurants for most or all of their sales. The size of this indirect economy is unknown, but independent restaurants can spend anywhere from just under 20 percent to more than 30 percent of their revenue on food, alcohol and other goods. |
| Some businesses that serve restaurants have already laid off workers, driving a nationwide surge in new unemployment claims that labor experts predict will total between 1 million and 2.25 million for last week alone. Others are scrambling and improvising, trying to convert wholesale businesses into retail shops overnight. | Some businesses that serve restaurants have already laid off workers, driving a nationwide surge in new unemployment claims that labor experts predict will total between 1 million and 2.25 million for last week alone. Others are scrambling and improvising, trying to convert wholesale businesses into retail shops overnight. |
| A few have closed for now, wondering how long it will be before it is safe again for people to eat and drink together. As local and federal governments debate measures to help the economy, they are watching to see when relief will come, what form it might take and whether any of it will reach them. | A few have closed for now, wondering how long it will be before it is safe again for people to eat and drink together. As local and federal governments debate measures to help the economy, they are watching to see when relief will come, what form it might take and whether any of it will reach them. |
| Orwashers Bakery, one of the handful of independently owned bakeries in New York City that sells fresh bread to restaurants, has already laid off 20 of its 110 employees. Wholesale revenue, most of it from restaurants and the distributors that supply them, “was the economic engine of the whole company,” Keith Cohen, the owner, said. Since early March, he said, “it has been in a progressive downward spiral.” | Orwashers Bakery, one of the handful of independently owned bakeries in New York City that sells fresh bread to restaurants, has already laid off 20 of its 110 employees. Wholesale revenue, most of it from restaurants and the distributors that supply them, “was the economic engine of the whole company,” Keith Cohen, the owner, said. Since early March, he said, “it has been in a progressive downward spiral.” |
| In any other week, Orwashers would have been making daily deliveries of its tender but sturdy hamburger buns to restaurants like Upland, Superiority Burger and the Dutch. Its Rustica and Campagna loaves, familiar by sight if not by name to many New Yorkers, would have been waiting at restaurant doors in the morning. | In any other week, Orwashers would have been making daily deliveries of its tender but sturdy hamburger buns to restaurants like Upland, Superiority Burger and the Dutch. Its Rustica and Campagna loaves, familiar by sight if not by name to many New Yorkers, would have been waiting at restaurant doors in the morning. |
| A few fast-casual lunch spots, including By Chloe, Chopt and Fresh&co, are still serving some Orwashers bread to their pickup and delivery customers. Many of their locations, though, cater heavily to office workers who have now been ordered to stay at home. | A few fast-casual lunch spots, including By Chloe, Chopt and Fresh&co, are still serving some Orwashers bread to their pickup and delivery customers. Many of their locations, though, cater heavily to office workers who have now been ordered to stay at home. |
| For many vendors, the closings could not have come at a worse time of year. January and February are two of the slowest months for eating out. New spending lags, and old invoices aren’t paid even at the end of the 30-day terms that most restaurants demand. | For many vendors, the closings could not have come at a worse time of year. January and February are two of the slowest months for eating out. New spending lags, and old invoices aren’t paid even at the end of the 30-day terms that most restaurants demand. |
| “It’s the nature of the beast,” Mr. Cohen said. “So as a small wholesaler, you get killed.” | “It’s the nature of the beast,” Mr. Cohen said. “So as a small wholesaler, you get killed.” |
| Outside the wholesale business, Orwashers sells bread at local farmers’ markets and in stores, including two of its own. Mr. Cohen is throwing all his energy into retail now, like many others who deal in edible products. | Outside the wholesale business, Orwashers sells bread at local farmers’ markets and in stores, including two of its own. Mr. Cohen is throwing all his energy into retail now, like many others who deal in edible products. |
| So is Jason Salvo, who grows vegetables on 15 acres of Snoqualmie River Valley farmland east of Seattle, in Duvall, Wash. | So is Jason Salvo, who grows vegetables on 15 acres of Snoqualmie River Valley farmland east of Seattle, in Duvall, Wash. |
| Last year about 100 Seattle restaurants bought produce from his farm, Local Roots. With almost all them closed for now, the arugula, radishes, spinach and other plants that he seeded in the ground on Sunday will probably end up in the boxes he sends out each week to summer members of his C.S.A. (for community supported agriculture). Already he is overwhelmed by subscription requests from people who are cooking more than they ever have before. | Last year about 100 Seattle restaurants bought produce from his farm, Local Roots. With almost all them closed for now, the arugula, radishes, spinach and other plants that he seeded in the ground on Sunday will probably end up in the boxes he sends out each week to summer members of his C.S.A. (for community supported agriculture). Already he is overwhelmed by subscription requests from people who are cooking more than they ever have before. |
| On a far larger scale, wholesale vendors at Eastern Market in Detroit are storing case after case of unsold vegetables. They are fresh now, but won’t stay that way for long. Daniel S. Carmody, the president of the nonprofit group that runs the market, said that one vendor held a total produce inventory at the end of last week worth $850,000, which was almost the same as at the start of the week. Another is sitting on 20,000 pounds of broccoli. | On a far larger scale, wholesale vendors at Eastern Market in Detroit are storing case after case of unsold vegetables. They are fresh now, but won’t stay that way for long. Daniel S. Carmody, the president of the nonprofit group that runs the market, said that one vendor held a total produce inventory at the end of last week worth $850,000, which was almost the same as at the start of the week. Another is sitting on 20,000 pounds of broccoli. |
| On Tuesday, the market held a drive-through sale, which Mr. Carmody called “the first of a set of experiments to make it easier to get food without human contact.” Retail shoppers could select cases of produce from a form. Boxes filled with 20 pounds of avocados, two dozen heads of lettuce, 50 pounds of potatoes, among other things, were loaded into car trunks and payments were taken by a mobile credit-card-processing unit. | On Tuesday, the market held a drive-through sale, which Mr. Carmody called “the first of a set of experiments to make it easier to get food without human contact.” Retail shoppers could select cases of produce from a form. Boxes filled with 20 pounds of avocados, two dozen heads of lettuce, 50 pounds of potatoes, among other things, were loaded into car trunks and payments were taken by a mobile credit-card-processing unit. |
| “Part of the challenge is how to get the supply where it’s needed, because it’s shifted so dramatically,” he said. | “Part of the challenge is how to get the supply where it’s needed, because it’s shifted so dramatically,” he said. |
| Harry Root, a wine distributor in South Carolina and Alabama, usually makes about 60 percent of his sales to restaurants, but said he has begun getting exploratory calls from large supermarkets that have never done business with him before. | Harry Root, a wine distributor in South Carolina and Alabama, usually makes about 60 percent of his sales to restaurants, but said he has begun getting exploratory calls from large supermarkets that have never done business with him before. |
| The wines he champions tend to be made by small producers. About half are shipped from France and Italy. Almost none have any marketing presence in the United States. They are wines, in other words, that don’t move unless a sommelier pushes them. But they may start moving now that restaurant drinking is prohibited. | The wines he champions tend to be made by small producers. About half are shipped from France and Italy. Almost none have any marketing presence in the United States. They are wines, in other words, that don’t move unless a sommelier pushes them. But they may start moving now that restaurant drinking is prohibited. |
| The standard supermarket wine section in those states, Mr. Root said, “will have 1,500 wines and six of them are from France. Not a great ratio. But people obviously drink French wine because we sell a lot of it. If you’ve got people coming into your grocery asking, ‘Where’s the French wine?’, you’ve got to call the guy that has the French wine.” | The standard supermarket wine section in those states, Mr. Root said, “will have 1,500 wines and six of them are from France. Not a great ratio. But people obviously drink French wine because we sell a lot of it. If you’ve got people coming into your grocery asking, ‘Where’s the French wine?’, you’ve got to call the guy that has the French wine.” |
| A week ago, the Brooklyn seafood wholesaler Pierless Fish began making home deliveries of Ora King salmon from New Zealand, wild halibut from Nova Scotia and other fish that had been mainstays on local menus. Robert DeMasco, the owner, said he knew his business was in trouble even before the bans on public dining, when Danny Meyer and other veteran restaurateurs closed their establishments voluntarily. | A week ago, the Brooklyn seafood wholesaler Pierless Fish began making home deliveries of Ora King salmon from New Zealand, wild halibut from Nova Scotia and other fish that had been mainstays on local menus. Robert DeMasco, the owner, said he knew his business was in trouble even before the bans on public dining, when Danny Meyer and other veteran restaurateurs closed their establishments voluntarily. |
| “I honestly felt like I’d been kicked off a cliff by a donkey,” he said. | “I honestly felt like I’d been kicked off a cliff by a donkey,” he said. |
| Many East Coast fishing boats stayed at the docks last week, Mr. DeMasco said, because distributors like him had nowhere to sell the fish. If he and other wholesalers successfully become retailers, he said, fishing crews will get back on the ocean again. “There’s only so much chicken you can eat,” he said. | Many East Coast fishing boats stayed at the docks last week, Mr. DeMasco said, because distributors like him had nowhere to sell the fish. If he and other wholesalers successfully become retailers, he said, fishing crews will get back on the ocean again. “There’s only so much chicken you can eat,” he said. |
| But retail business may be out of reach for vendors that provide highly tailored services to restaurants, like linen services and florists. | But retail business may be out of reach for vendors that provide highly tailored services to restaurants, like linen services and florists. |
| “Now that there’s a shelter-in-place, we were going to put something on social media,” said Heather Shouse, whose company, Bottle & Branch, designs and installs flower arrangements, planter boxes and outdoor landscaping for hotels and restaurants in downtown Chicago and the West Loop. | “Now that there’s a shelter-in-place, we were going to put something on social media,” said Heather Shouse, whose company, Bottle & Branch, designs and installs flower arrangements, planter boxes and outdoor landscaping for hotels and restaurants in downtown Chicago and the West Loop. |
| As she fielded the phone calls and emails canceling orders that equaled 95 percent of her business, she imagined the sales pitches she could make to people now working from home. | As she fielded the phone calls and emails canceling orders that equaled 95 percent of her business, she imagined the sales pitches she could make to people now working from home. |
| “ ‘Treat yourself to flowers,’ ‘White glove delivery,’ where it just gets dropped on your front step,” she said. “Or plant delivery: ‘Turn your brown thumb into a green thumb.’ ” | “ ‘Treat yourself to flowers,’ ‘White glove delivery,’ where it just gets dropped on your front step,” she said. “Or plant delivery: ‘Turn your brown thumb into a green thumb.’ ” |
| Updated June 12, 2020 | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| Almost as soon as that hope occurred to her, it collapsed. “No one is going to want these things in this time,” Ms. Shouse said. | Almost as soon as that hope occurred to her, it collapsed. “No one is going to want these things in this time,” Ms. Shouse said. |
| In any another year, Bottle & Branch would have hired 10 or so seasonal workers last week to get ready for “patio season.” Instead she put nine of her year-round employees on furlough — unpaid leave — and put the 10th on part-time status. She said that Chicago’s two wholesale flower markets, where the salespeople work on commission, had been brought to a virtual standstill when the restaurant trade died. | In any another year, Bottle & Branch would have hired 10 or so seasonal workers last week to get ready for “patio season.” Instead she put nine of her year-round employees on furlough — unpaid leave — and put the 10th on part-time status. She said that Chicago’s two wholesale flower markets, where the salespeople work on commission, had been brought to a virtual standstill when the restaurant trade died. |
| “We went from spending $4,000 a week with one salesperson to nothing,” she said, “so that’s food right out of his mouth.” | “We went from spending $4,000 a week with one salesperson to nothing,” she said, “so that’s food right out of his mouth.” |
| Certain restaurant vendors are as busy as ever this month, not that they’re happy about the circumstances. | Certain restaurant vendors are as busy as ever this month, not that they’re happy about the circumstances. |
| “I’ve become a therapist,” said Terence Hanley, whose hospitality accounting firm in Brooklyn serves more than 50 restaurants. “Weekends mean nothing now.” | “I’ve become a therapist,” said Terence Hanley, whose hospitality accounting firm in Brooklyn serves more than 50 restaurants. “Weekends mean nothing now.” |
| Most chefs and restaurateurs ask him about the same few issues. “The number one concern is, can I take care of my people?” Mr. Hanley said. “And unfortunately, the answer is, no, you can’t. That was the first few horrible days. A couple of people are trying to give it a go with takeout and delivery with limited success, or no success at all.” | Most chefs and restaurateurs ask him about the same few issues. “The number one concern is, can I take care of my people?” Mr. Hanley said. “And unfortunately, the answer is, no, you can’t. That was the first few horrible days. A couple of people are trying to give it a go with takeout and delivery with limited success, or no success at all.” |
| Jasmine Moy, an attorney in Manhattan who specializes in hospitality law, said in an email that she, too, had received “a barrage of inquiries” about layoffs. Her clients also had questions about paid sick leave and visas for workers from other countries. | Jasmine Moy, an attorney in Manhattan who specializes in hospitality law, said in an email that she, too, had received “a barrage of inquiries” about layoffs. Her clients also had questions about paid sick leave and visas for workers from other countries. |
| Fielding these calls filled some of the time that used to be taken up in negotiating new restaurant deals. Last week and the week before, she said, about half of those deals “basically died on the spot.” | Fielding these calls filled some of the time that used to be taken up in negotiating new restaurant deals. Last week and the week before, she said, about half of those deals “basically died on the spot.” |
| Ms. Moy said that once the urgent employee issues had been handled, she expected to spend the next few months in one of two ways. For restaurants that are reopening, she said, she will try to get rent abatements or deferrals. For the restaurants that go out of business for good, her job will be “the assignment of lease and sale of assets,” she said. | Ms. Moy said that once the urgent employee issues had been handled, she expected to spend the next few months in one of two ways. For restaurants that are reopening, she said, she will try to get rent abatements or deferrals. For the restaurants that go out of business for good, her job will be “the assignment of lease and sale of assets,” she said. |
| “I don’t have any idea at this point how many will fall into that bucket,” Ms. Moy added. “But hopefully they will be few and far between.” | “I don’t have any idea at this point how many will fall into that bucket,” Ms. Moy added. “But hopefully they will be few and far between.” |
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