Why Restaurants Matter

OVERNIGHT, THINGS CHANGED.
 

Our children, the freedom we have sometimes taken for granted, food, shelter, and someone to share our ups and down with. These are our common threads. Covid-19 has tangled or severed many of these threads, notably those that involve sharing meals or drinks in public spaces.

We spend countless hours in many types of restaurants, bars, and meeting spaces. These places are the backbone of our communities.

They feed the mind, body, and soul as we travel through our daily lives. Local restaurants are more than places where we share a meal; they are where we share our lives.

We are all scared, frustrated—and, yes, angry. These emotions come from the inability to control what comes next. The art of throwing balls up in the air and seeing where they land!

We need to connect on a much more heightened level than we have ever been able to do in the past.

The restaurant and hospitality sector is an industry that is driven by people. Our tentacles reach far into our communities. We not only feed people, but we purchase goods and services from so many in our local, national, and global communities. We employ millions, we feed billions, and we create memories along the way.

The art of feeding and nurturing our community is what we do. We are not just businesses.

We are healers. We invigorate our communities and lift them up. We are not automated or far away. We live in the communities we serve every day. The loss of your local hangout creates disruption, anxiety, and stress when, right now, our value is at its highest. We give our guests a place to rest and feel taken care of at a time when most of us are not sure who is taking care of us.

The saddest part is that the closing of restaurants all over the world is not only putting millions out of work and affecting all the commerce we support, but most importantly it is cutting the thread that binds communities together.

I hope we can get back to our basic needs. Joining together and praying for a warm and engaging group hug in places that strive to make us feel good.

If my restaurant business does not survive, that is what is meant to be, but I will not go down without a fight. This is not something most of us do for the money. We do this for the connection to our guests and our staff and our community.

My Ohana is my family. We have raised each other for decades. We have been supported by so many and this will keep us on task.

Mahalo.

EDITOR’S NOTE: New Jersey is home to over 19,000 food and drink establishments that employed more than 348,000 people in 2019 (8% of the state’s total employment). As of press time, the New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association estimates that more than 30% of these establishments will close as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.