I was speaking with several of my contemporaries about how much our world and daily life patterns have been interrupted and changed. The devastation of more than half a million Americans dying from Covid-19 ensures that we have all endured the personal loss of a loved one, be it family or friend or collogue. We also discussed the domino effect for all the businesses that have been shuttered and the connective ancillary business that supported their existence to function. The web of connectivity is truly mindboggling.

Since the meat industry's health is greatly dependent on the restaurant industry, Let's Go There. One hundred ten thousand restaurants closed in 2020, specifically due to the pandemic, and 2.5 million jobs were lost. As Tom Colicchio said, this pandemic has become "An Extinction Event" for the half-million restaurants in the U.S. and desperately needs government aid. The restaurant Industry employs 15,000,000 (that's…15 MILLION) individuals. That’s 1 out of 10 Americans —much more than the airlines and auto (a combined total of 2,450,0000). The Independent Restaurant Coalition is an organization set up in March 2020 by chefs and restaurant owners to lobby for The RESTAURANTS Act, which would have provided $120 billion for grants to small independent operations to help employ staff and survive the pandemic. There is now "The Restaurant Rescue Plan," which won Senate approval by a margin of 90-10 in early February, and would earmark $25 billion of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan/COVID-19 relief package. For details on this information, please check out the Feb. 19 blog post on Restaurant365.com that simply outlines the difference.

Dining out, whether at fine dining restaurants, food trucks, or anything in-between, is bipartisan. With the help of the Restaurant Rescue plan, the health of the restaurant industry will stimulate the economy by putting millions back to work. This also includes the massive network of businesses powered by the meat industry, being one of those at the top of that food chain. There should be a vote on this soon — very soon.

I urge you to please call 202-224-3121. This will get you to the Capitol Building in DC. If you haven't done this before, you follow the easy prompts to your Senator, state your name, and say something about saving the restaurant industry. Truck drivers, maintenance people, waitresses, chefs, bartenders, Uber drivers, purveyors, farmers and so many others are dependent on this relief package passing. Every American depends on the restaurant industry one way or another when you stop and truly think of how interconnected we are. The chain I just described is but one of a multitude of industries and levels that have to now figure out what's next and how to morph to see another day.

My query this week is simple; Will you make the call? Why or why not?

Live well…and stay safe.

Restaurant relief = meat industry growth

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