We are going to change the format of our nightly email to the IRC community.
First, calls to action have to come during our most important moments — so we will save them until we really need them. Whether we are mobilizing to pass legislation, or to ensure our unique circumstances are understood — that’s when we need collective action the most.
We also believe that some of the most important messaging comes from you. Our voices are most impactful when we collectively raise them, but it’s your stories and real life experiences that give our messaging power. Rather than us telling you what the message of the day is, we want to hear and see your message. Share your clips, social posts, letters, or anything else that will help inform IRC about what you are going through and we will help lift it up.
Finally, when we are collectively moving on federal legislation or lifting up an agenda, IRC will offer messaging and guidance to help move it forward.
With that, here are a few things we want to highlight for you today:
Last night, we asked for everyone to share a story on Twitter and/or Instagram about what got you into the restaurant business. We got some great responses, but we need MORE.Times are tough in our industry right now, and it’s important that we take a moment to remember how much we love this work, and why it is worth fighting for. Whether it was a dish you love, someone who mentored you, or a place you worked, please post a photo and/or share your story about what inspired you to get into the restaurant industry and tag @IndpRestaurants. See the posts below for inspiration:
Here are a few other things to highlight for you today:
All of us know that nobody works harder than the 11 million people employed by local and independent restaurants. We take pride in what we do. And as anyone who’s ever worked in a restaurant kitchen knows, we do it quickly. Very quickly.
This crisis hasn’t changed that.
Chef Gavin Kaysen wrote today, “At one point a couple of weeks ago a majority of the people in the profession stopped and said, We have to have one voice now, and I thought, We need to move forward with one voice, how’s that going to happen? And then, boom, there was the email about the Independent Restaurant Coalition and its Save Local Restaurants campaign. It was built so fast, it’s pretty remarkable.”
Without a doubt, we’re moving fast. Not only because it’s what we do, but because it’s what we have to do.
We’re covering new ground every day. There are so many questions chefs, workers, and restaurant owners have about the path forward — what it looks like, when it happens, what we should do.
We’ll be answering some of those questions this Friday at 2 p.m. ET where we’ll be going live with a Q&A on IRC’s Instagram page (@IndpRestaurants) between Restaurateur Kevin Boehm and Chris Lamond of Thorn Run Partners, who will be answering questions about what the CARES Act means for independent restaurants.
In an environment as uncertain as this, the one thing you can count on is that we’re working overtime to answer as many questions as possible, and this will be the first of many Q&A’s we’ll host to make sure you’re getting the latest, most up-to-date information from our team of experts — who are working day and night for you.
But before Friday’s Q&A, we encourage you to do a few things:
Visit our resources pagewhere we’ve provided some preliminary guidance to help you start building a plan of action;
Take a look at this breakdown of the recently passed stimulus legislationto understand how it impacts small and independent restaurants, and;
Check out this new study on the Paycheck Protection Program, which examines how this program will help small businesses.
Like I said in last night’s email, the one thing that’s stood out for me more than anything during this crisis is the resiliency of this community. Continue fighting with us, and we won’t let you down.
Cheers,
AK
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Angela M. Kouters Executive Director Independent Restaurant Coalition www.SaveRestaurants.co
