Peter Romeo

Editor at Large

Articles by
Peter Romeo

Page 149
Workforce

Widespread layoffs hit the lodging business

Marriott expects to furlough tens of thousands of property-level employees, and the tally of industrywide job eliminations could top 4 million near term, said the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

Operations

Distributors ask for help to keep trucking

The industry's food haulers say they lack the cash flow and capital to keep supplying restaurants and noncommercial customers.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says measures will allow closed restaurants to continue paying their employees. Loans and direct payments to consumers would be part of a $1 trillion relief package.

Illinois and New York have OK'd sales for off-premise, and New York and Ohio have permitted returns of unused St. Patrick’s stockpiles.

After holding conversations with quick-service CEOs, the White House also disclosed that it plans to send cash to consumers to stoke spending. A small-business relief package is also in the works.

With some operators calling it a “bait and switch,” the third-party delivery provider is offering up new details on its repayment guidelines for restaurants.

The shutdowns could cost 1 million jobs, according to the association.

The president and health officials also called on citizens to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people, at home as well as outside.

A requirement that citizens be home by a certain hour could be an alternative to forcing restaurants to close or discontinue dine-in service.

Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Kentucky have all restricted establishments to takeout and delivery as coronavirus disruptions spread.

Ohio’s indefinite ban starts at 9 p.m. tonight. Illinois will permit takeout service.

Restaurants that sell only food and nonalcoholic beverages appear to be exempted, along with supermarkets and sources of health supplies.

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