Freddy’s co-founder: Hard times for restaurants; we need Congress to act | Commentary

In the restaurant business, our success is inextricably linked to customer service.

Whether it’s helping busy families on-the-go reconnect over a meal or welcoming patrons to celebrate special occasions, hospitality by way of delicious food and outstanding customer service are hallmarks of restaurants in Kansas and across the country.

The last two years, however, have been anything but hospitable for every sector of the restaurant industry.

Pandemic-related government shutdowns and subsequent sales and job losses of $300 billion and 800,000, respectively, have tested the patience, resilience, and financial viability of every restaurant.

While some restaurants weathered the storm, 90,000 permanently closed due to the pandemic.

Today, inflation, rising food costs, a labor shortage, and supply-chain delays have many more hanging on by a thread.

More than 500 restaurant owners and operators joined together in Washington, D.C. last week for the National Restaurant Association’s Public Affairs Conference, to advocate for solutions to workforce and economic problems that have been plaguing restaurants through no fault of their own.

We’re demanding that Senators vote to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, to help 177,000 restaurants that were promised grants last year but didn’t receive a penny.

We’re also urging Congress to pass the Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act, legislation that would expand workforce opportunities in occupations that do not require a college degree.

More people and workforce opportunities are critical to supporting the restaurant industry’s and nation’s economic growth, and so, too is this bill.

And we’ll continue to advocate for the reinstatement of the Employee Retention Tax Credit, a popular COVID-19 tax relief program that helped restaurants keep employees on payroll through the darkest days of the pandemic.

Congress cut short the program last fall to pay for President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and now thousands of small business restaurants face major unexpected tax penalties.

Over the past two years, restaurants have taken action over and over again to remain in business.

They’ve reduced hours and days of operation, cut seating capacity, and pivoted to off-premises dining so that they can continue to serve guests, provide jobs, and invest in local communities.

But they are still struggling.

Help is what’s desperately needed for restaurants in Wichita and everywhere else in the country.

It’s Congress that must act now.

This story was originally published May 2, 2022 at 5:12 AM.