I know this was discussed but since i can’t find the conversation the separate topic is needed.
During these expected hard times for restaurants we are sure to see tons of layoffs, banklruptcies and closures. Many of us interested in doing a little bit in helping our favorites make it out of this via purchases of Gift Cards to use at a later date. Tax returns are coming in, why not load up some funds to be used later
That said I’ve been asking one of our favorite family run establishments - Jun Won to start doing so and they’ve provided me with a Venmo address to use and will issue an email credit confirmation to anyone who purchases a gift card. If you’ve got it in you to follow my lead on this please let me know and i’ll send you the Venmo address. Just send privately, with your email address for the confirmation. Let’s do this
Welcome to add other restaurants and how to purchase.
I can attest from many a meal that the Langer’s drive up service makes take out virtually painless in LA traffic and parking conditions. And you get a delicious sandwich, my current go to is the #54. The corned beef is unbelievably tasty.
Papilles Bistro sells on their website using their point-of-service account on Toast. It’s legit - I called the resto and spoke to its owner, Santos Uy before purchasing it online: https://papillesla.com/
Someone on another post mentioned that she had spoken to a few restaurants owners (didn’t mention the size or type of restaurants) and that the owners had said that take out doesn’t do much to stop the hemorrhaging of $ and that gift cards were actually more helpful.
I don’t know anything about the economics of running a restaurant to attest to that, but I thought I’d throw it out there.
The monetary problems most restaurants are facing at the moment amount to many, many thousands of dollars per restaurant. Unless there is an incredibly coordinated effort to choose which restaurants the food-caring public want to save, at this point most gift card purchases you make—that money has already been spent by the restaurant before you buy the gift card. You’re basically just helping them not go totally bankrupt for that little bit longer. By the time any restaurants reopen, if they’re lucky enough to, cashing in all those gift cards will be like dining and dashing.
Also remember the city has an interest in keeping many of our big hitters alive. Garcetti wants Republique around because the Manzkes have national and international recognition. Food truly is synonymous with tourism in this city. The mayor knows keeping chefs here means keeping Los Angeles relevant, especially considering Hollywood now also includes places like Georgia and Vancouver, where there are so many tax incentives to film. You don’t have to be here to be in “Hollywood” anymore, but you do have to be here to eat at Pasjoli.
There will be chefs that have a much easier (not that any of this will easy) time securing financial aid and eager applicants than others.
David Chang just said he thinks 90% of restaurants will go out of business. Probably (not in a callous way) out of respect for Sturgeons Law and Daniel Dennett. This is definitely a wheat from the chaff moment for many industries.
I work in high fashion so I’m not saying this lightly. Last thing we want is a recession. You’re telling me less people have money to splurge? That’s terrifying.
Also there is a large, talented and currently out of work population of cooks, servers, bartenders, somms, busboys and dishwashers (do not ignore the necessity of the latter two!). Hell, even baristas. We don’t want them to leave LA either because then no one can execute the wishes of Chef and there’s no restaurant either way.
Anyway this social distancing has given me a lot of time to think about the restaurant industry while mindlessly binging television.
A really thoughtful post. I have also wondered if gift cards amount to dining and dashing, but I also assuming that delaying the inevitable may have some sort of benefit to restaurant owners that I don’t understand.
No, but outside of social-media influencers, TV and film generally does require people to stand less than 6-ft apart (I think). Production crews have lost their jobs and don’t know when they’ll be back.
I agree that many business will go under, but I’m not sure that the ones that survive are somehow superior/smarter/whatever (not sure if you meant to give that impression) or just simply… lucky.
Frightening times exist now and are definitely are also up ahead…
I meant we have been in a restaurant bubble in this country for a few years and now the bubble has been forcefully popped. It was going to pop eventually but this is cruel and unusual, though also a reality that cannot be ignored or watered down.
Good point about all that it takes behind the camera in Hollywood and all those crewmembers newly unemployed.
I agree the big hitters have backers to help ride it out, provided they were doing great biz to begin with. It’s good advice to buy gifts cards to the smaller places. But! I do feel for the Manzke’s. They’re having a rough year with Walter’s near death experience. Nobody is invulnerable.
