‘Foodie’ producer says restaurant toll will be high

Arthur Ircink, creator and producer of the “Wisconsin Foodie” series, estimates 30 percent of restaurants could be casualties of the coronavirus shutdown.

ADRIENNE: WISCONSIN’S BARS ANDTAVERNS HAVE BEEN CLOSED FORWEEKS NOW DUE TO THE OUTBREAK.RESTAURANTS HAVE BEEN FORCED TOCLOSE SEATING AND OFFERCARRY-OUT OR DELIVERY ONLY.THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY CAN BECHALLENGING EVEN WHEN THEREISN’T A PANDEMIC.AND WE WONDERED, HOW MANY OFTHESE ESTABLISHMENTS WILLSURVIVE?WE’RE ASKING ARTHUR IRCINK.HE IS THE CREATOR AND PRODUCEROF THE POPULAR WISCONSIN FOODISERIES ON PUBLIC TELEVISION.IT IS SCARY TO THINK IRESTAURANTS HAVE BEEN HIT HARDBY THIS.THERE HAS TO BE CONCERN THATSOME WILL NOT MAKE IT.ARTHUR: DEFINITELY.I GOT THESE NUMBERS FROM THEWISCONSIN ASSOCIATION --WISCONSIN RESTAURANTASSOCIATION.THEY HAVE LOST $288 MILLION INSALES AND THE SERVICE INDUSTRYHAS LAID OFF 56,000 EMPLOYEES.THAT NUMBER IS GROWINGDAY BY DAY.LIKE YOU SAID, IT IS AN INDUSTRYALREADY ON A THIN MARGIN, ANDNOW THIS WILL BREAK A LOT OFBACKS.WE ARE LOOKING AT ABOUT 13,000DRINKING AND EATINGESTABLISHMENTS IN WISCONSIN.I WOULD BE SHOCKED IF 77% CAMEBACK.ADRIENNE: SO YOU THINK MAYBE 30%WILL CLOSE INDEFINITELY?ARTHUR: 30% WILL CLOSE UNLESSTHERE IS A DRAMATIC BENEFITS ORLOCAL GOVERNMENTS, FEDERALGOVERNMENT CAN STEP UP ANDREALLY HELP THESE BUSINESSES.WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT GRANTSVERSUS LOANS, I THINK A LOT OFTHESE BUSINESSES CANNOT EVENSTAND ALONE.PEOPLE NEED GRANTS RIGHT NOW,MONEY THAT CAN HELP THEM THATTHEY DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUTPAYING BACK.ADRIENNE: TRULY A SAD REALITYBECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY PLACESWE LEFT TO GO TO.I KNOW SOME RESTAURANTS IN MYNEIGHBORHOOD ARE GETTINGCREATIVE BECAUSE THEY WANT TOPROVIDE JOBS AND PROVIDE FORTHEIR CUSTOMERS, SO WHAT ARE THECREATIVE IDEAS YOU’VE SEEN?ARTHUR: I HATE TO START ON THATSIDE NOTE, BUT I HAVE TO SAYTHIS INDUSTRY IS RESOURCEFUL ANDRESILIENT AND CREATIVE.I HAVE SEEN PLACES LIKE THETANDEM OFFER FREE MEALS, SO FREEMEALS ALL DAY LONG, AND THEYHAVE OTHER RESTAURANTS WITHOVERSTOCK AND REFRIGERATION THATDROP OFF FOOD TO THEM AND THEYARE PUTTING OUT FREE RESTAURANTS-- SORRY, FREE MEALS AND THEIRCOMMUNITY AND IT IS A FANTASTICSTORY WHAT CAITLIN IS DOING.AS WELL AS DON’S DINER.IT IS A TRADITIONAL DINER BUTTHEY HAD CONVERTED INTO AGROCERY STORE-LIQUOR STORE,WHERE THEY ARE SELLING FOOD,HAND SANITIZER, FROZEN PIZZAS,AND EVOLVING TO HELP THECOMMUNITY.SO THAT RESOURCEFULNESS IS JUSTINCREDIBLE.A GOFUNDME PAGE OUT THERE ISAMAZING TO SEE THE COMMUNITYCOME TOGETHER, RAISE MONEY TOHELP THE INDUSTRY.THERE WAS A STORY ON WISN 12ABOUT MEET ON THE STREET, AFUNDRAISER TO HELP HOSPITALWORKERS, AND THEY RAISEDSOMEWHERE AROUND $8,000 AND AFOOD TRUCK SUPPLIED 80 MEALSTHAT WERE GONE IN LIKE 30MINUTES TO DIFFERENT HOSPITALWORKERS.SO JUST THE REAL RESOURCEFULNESSOF THE COMMUNITY.EVERYBODY COMING TOGETHER ANDWORKING TOGETHER ISUNBELIEVABLE.ADRIENNE: WHAT ARE YOU HEARINGFROM PEOPLE IN RESTAURANTS?WHAT DO THEY WANT TO SEE FROMLAWMAKERS?WHAT HELP DO THEY NEED?ARTHUR: LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THERESTAURANTS REALLY NEED HELP NOTIN THE FORM OF LOANS.LOANS ARE HELPFUL BUT IT ADDS TOEVERYTHING THEY HAVE TO FIGHTAND CONSIDER IN THE FUTURE.THEY ALREADY HAVE FUNDS TO PAYBACK.I THINK ADDING ANOTHER 3.75%LOAN ON TOP OF MONEY THEY AREALREADY LOOKING TO PAY BACK ISTROUBLING.I THINK THEY ARE DOING A GREATJOB WITH THEIR SB 2020 LOAN.I KNOW THE LOAN IS A LITTLESMALL, BUT IT CAN HELP RIGHTNOW, BUT HOPEFULLY WHEN THEYPASS THIS BILL IN CONGRESS, ITWILL REALLY HELP SMALLBUSINESSES.I KNOW THE NATIONAL RESTAURANTASSOCIATION AND WISCONSINRESTAURANT ASSOCIATION HAVELOBBIED FOR THE SMALLINDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS.I FEEL THEY ARE CERTAIN THAT THETHINGS THEY HAVE LOBBIED FOR AREGOING TO FIND A WAY INTO THEBILL.THERE IS REAL HOPEFULNESS IN THEBILL THAT WILL COME OUT THATWILL HELP WITH EMPLOYEEBENEFITS, THAT WILL HELP WITHFUNDS TO KEEP THE RESTAURANTSALIVE.I THINK THERE IS A LOT OFHOPEFULNESS THERE IN THOSE KINDOF PACKAGES, BUT ALSO IN THECOMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE ARECOMING OUT IN DROVES FORTAKEOUT, DELIVERY, AND PEOPLEARE TIPPING, BUYING GIFTCERTIFICATES.I THINK THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTPRODUCE RESTAURANTS ISINCREDIBLE.YOU TRY TO CALL A RESTAURANT ANDIT IS BUSY FOR HOURS ON END.SO WE CAN SEE THE COMMUNITYSTEPPING UP AND THAT NEEDS TOCONTINUE.SOME CONVERSATIONS I’VE HAD WITHOWNERS IS THERE HAS BEEN ANINFLUX OF GIFT CARD PURCHASES.I THINK THE RESTAURANT OWNERSARE NERVOUS AND THAT WHILE THEYREALLY APPRECIATE THAT BUSINESS,THEY ARE WORRIED PEOPLE WILL USETHAT ON DAY ONE WHEN THELOCKDOWN IS OVER.BUSINESSES ARE AFRAID EVERYONEWILL USE THEM THE SAME DAY,WHICH COULD BE A NEGATIVEBECAUSE THEY NEED THE INITIALCASH AND FLEX.IF I COULD TELL PEOPLE ANYTHING,IT IS CALLED ON TO THE GIFTCARDS FOR A SPECIAL OCCASION ORCOUPLE OF MONTHS PAST THESITUATION.ADRIENNE: I THINK THAT IS A GOODPOINT.WE NEED TO DO OUR PART TO MAKESURE OUR FAVORITE SPOTS SURVIVETHIS.THANK YOU.ARTHUR: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.ADRIENNE: LOCAL VERSUS ESTA