The COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts have been felt across the board. Particularly in the retail and food service sector. From farm-level to consumer and everything in between. In March, the National Restaurant Association was “anticipating sales to decline by $225 billion during the next three months.” Which would prompt the loss of between five and seven million jobs. In a city where the vibrancy of diverse communities is expressed through food, the impacts go well beyond financial.
There will be significant long-term impacts and widespread changes in how the sector operates. We are already seeing businesses adapt their business models in new and creative ways. Some businesses have shut down, some have pivoted, and some are still figuring out how to get by. All of this is happening with the uncertainty of how next month, next week, or even tomorrow will look. At Business Impact NW, we are continually monitoring and compiling info on the resources that small business owners need to weather the storm. We are helping businesses navigate COVID-19 resources wherever they fall on the spectrum.
Through the Food Business Resource Center (FBRC), we are working additionally to compile and bring together specific resources and connections that farm and food businesses need.
We have quickly learned that there isn’t one magic solution for getting through this crisis. In other words, it is a collective challenge we are facing to get to the new normal. New solutions will come in many forms along the way. For restaurants, many of those solutions are happening now and many more will continue to crop up:
- For Seattle restaurants and caterers still open for business, the City of Seattle created an interactive #SupportSeattleSmallBiz GIS map to connect customers to restaurants that are open for takeout and/or delivery. Business owners can email supportsmallbiz@seattle.gov to be added to that map.
- The Intentionalist, an online platform that supports small businesses and encourages consumers to #SpendLikeItMatters, has created a Takeout and Delivery Directory. It also includes restaurants outside of Seattle. Business owners can create a listing through a website form on the directory page.
- Three organizations (SCIDpda, Chinatown-International District BIA, and Friends of Little Saigon) came together to create a CID Restaurants and other Small Businesses Relief Fun, seeded by Vulcan. This relief fund was particularly important. Restaurants in the Chinatown-International District have seen significant revenue losses that started early on from the first COVID-19 cases.
- For King County restaurant employees who have lost jobs or experienced significant reduction in work hours, The Schultz Family Foundation along with numerous partners, created The Plate Fund. The Plate Fund provided $500 emergency relief grants to these individuals.
- Coalitions like Seattle Restaurants United and Facebook groups like Support the ID – Community United have formed for advocacy and connections.
Our team is here to guide you through the resources, connections, business changes, and anything else your business needs. Our goal is to preserve the vibrant communities as we emerge from this pandemic.
We don’t have all the answers, but we will work together with you to find them.
About the author
Henry Wong
Henry Wong is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in Systems and Information Engineering. Prior to joining the Business Impact NW team, he spent 7 years working in the Strategy group at CarMax developing and implementing inventory and buying strategies. Following his time at CarMax, he spent 3 years running his own mobile food truck business and consulting other mobile food start-ups in Tennessee. After selling his food truck, he moved to Seattle where he worked briefly with a food delivery tech startup. He did contract work for some local nonprofit organizations, including Business Impact NW, before joining the organization full-time. Having grown up around a family-owned restaurant and as a former entrepreneur, Henry understands the unique challenges that small business owners face. He also knows their advantages and the incredible value they can bring. Henry is passionate about leveraging his extensive experiences in strategy and operations to support clients in any stage of their business and strategic planning from concept to growth.