With the world turned on its head (especially in the restaurant and hospitality industries), we at Shea have pulled together some of the resources that we’ve found most helpful as we work to stay up to date on understanding what’s going on inside the industry, and to keep tabs on how we can all can step up and lend a hand:
“The Shutdown Notebook” – The Counter:
Shea partner Gavin Kaysen has been doing a spectacular job tracking the process of deciding to close his three restaurants, and ultimately doing so. It’s a great perspective to get, and is a fantastic resource for us to get some empathy as to how many of our clients are feeling and what they’re going through right now.
“I’m a Restaurateur and Coronavirus Forced Me to Rethink My Business Model” – Eater:
Eater speaks with an Indiana restaurateur about how the virus has affected her—how restaurateurs are pivoting, how they’re coming up with new ideas to make money, and what they’re thinking about the future.
“How the Coronavirus Has Impacted the Twin Cities Food World” – Eater Twin Cities:
This is one to bookmark. It’s an easy one-stop spot for updates on what’s going on regarding the hospitality industry in the Twin Cities. Any time there’s a major update, Eater Twin Cities puts out a piece that breaks down what it means for the local food scene.
“Closures, Takeout, and Relief Efforts: How Food Businesses Nationwide Are Handling Coronavirus” – Bon Appetit:
Updated daily, the Bon Appetit staff has been talking to food businesses from grocery stores to fine-dining to learn how they’re handling the world being turned on its head—both emotionally and practically.
Additionally, here are a few ways to help support the restaurant, hospitality, and food community as a whole, in addition to ordering curbside takeout and delivery from local spots:
- Provision Community Kitchen, a Shea client, is still providing daily take-out meals M-F, and always needs donations.
- Gavin Kaysen and Alison Arth have formed Heart of the House to help their employees and their families right now.
- Chowgirls, Alma, and Bachelor Farmer all closed for business and formed Minnesota Central Kitchen along with Second Harvest Heartland—they’re hoping to be able to eventually provide 2,000 meals per kitchen per day to those in need.
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- Askov Finlayson is also selling T-shirts, with all the proceeds going to Second Harvest Heartland to keep employees from Chowgirls/Alma/Bachelor Farmer working.
- Sweet Science is doing “morale boost pints,” using their production facility to make pints that you can buy to send to hospitals and clinics.
- Fund-raisers include Feed Our Frontlines, Fund Our Fooderies (where donations are used to buy local-restaurant gift cards for healthcare workers), Minute Aid Meals (delivering meals from local restaurants to those in need), and Feed a Nurse MN, delivering meals from local spots to the ICU nurses at St. Paul’s United Hospital.
- Open Arms MN delivers meals to those who are immunocompromised.
- Meals on Wheels is up and running, and delivering to those who can’t leave their homes.