Pennsylvania restaurants need 50% capacity to reopen | Opinion

The restaurant industry has been devastated by the pandemic — and it will be among the slowest to recover. In Pennsylvania, the National Restaurant Association reported that through the end of May, 91% of Pennsylvania operators had laid off or furloughed employees, equaling 332,000 jobs lost since March. Supplementing that staggering figure, restaurant operators have consistently reported a decline in sales since March — losing $1.8 billion in April alone — with 86% of operators reporting it’s unlikely their establishment will be profitable within the next six months, assuming there will be no additional relief packages from the federal government.

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By his own words — citing bar and restaurants’ patrons’ “annoying carelessness” — and through his own actions, Gov. Tom Wolf has targeted the restaurant industry, blaming it for spikes in Pennsylvania COVID-19 cases. According to a July study by personal finance company WalletHub, Pennsylvania was the third most restrictive state in the country when it comes to restaurant reopening, with only California and New Jersey having more stringent requirements.

What’s really telling is that of the eight categories reported from the WalletHub study, Pennsylvania ranks between 15th and 34th, with the average being 27th in the survey’s other seven categories, which include categories like travel restrictions (Pennsylvania ranked 15th) and face mask requirements (Pennsylvania ranked 23rd). In a recent update to the same study, WalletHub found Pennsylvania to be the second most restrictive state in the country overall, behind only California.

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To date, there is no evidence proving that the industry is either the problem or solution. Deborah Birx recently stated that recent COVID-19 spread is less from bars and restaurants and more from get-togethers, something we’re watching unfold in real time as students return to college campuses.

In order to justify the arbitrary rollback to 25% capacity for indoor dining, the Department of Health issued a press release on Aug. 14, sharing findings from case investigators who spent time at business establishments, including restaurants and bars. Per the release: “Of the 24,468 positive cases reported between July 13 and August 11, less than half of the individuals provided an answer to the question as to whether they spent time at a business establishment” 14 days before experiencing symptoms. Of those who did provide an answer, 13%, or 1,499, said yes, they visited a business establishment. Among those “yes” responders, 47% reported going to a restaurant, and 24% to a bar.

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According to the data provided above, this would mean roughly 6% of tested-positive individuals said they entered a restaurant with a mere 3% claiming they frequented a bar. This data is woefully incomplete — even a simple study done in Pennsylvania reflects less than half of the individuals contacted didn’t respond. Orders are being issued based on opinion and data that, at best, can be deemed unreliable.

If this is the case, why then should our industry continue to encounter such grave hardships based on flimsy information? With each critical moment endured, we see another establishment permanently shutter and its employees sent to the unemployment line.

A national survey published by Yelp revealed that as of July, 60% of restaurants shut down during the pandemic have closed for good. In Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association estimates that based on the number of temporary closures during the shutdown that at 25% occupancy capacity, 50% of restaurants will be forced to close temporarily. According to the Yelp survey, that means that in Pennsylvania, 7,500 restaurants will close permanently. The real tragedy is that will lead to 175,000 dedicated restaurant workers losing their jobs — forever.

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We ask for a reversal of Gov. Wolf’s incredible mandate limiting restaurants to 25% capacity, in an effort to mitigate the damage already invoked due to the COVID-19 landscape. By increasing to the original 50% occupancy mandate, as well as allowing some bar seating and removing the food requirement for alcohol purchases, many of these restaurants and bars will be given a fighting chance. As summer wanes, these establishments deserve the same survival opportunities as businesses in other industries.

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John Longstreet is the president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association and an advocate for the hospitality industry.