According to Identita Golose’s news, it has been examined how some countries are struggling with the pandemic and what kind of investments the government has made in restaurants.
In the lockdown decisions, restaurants faced a major economic crisis. Identita Golose also asked restaurant chefs of some important countries what challenges they face and what the government is helping the industry.
Fabrizio Facchini, Claudio Chinali, Virgilio Martinez, Riccardo Bertolino, Barbara Pollastrini, Salvatore and Nina Branda, Giorgio Nava, Umberto Bombana and Yoji Tokuyoshi made important statements on the subject.
Fabrizio Facchini, one of the leading names of Italian restaurants in New York, stated that the situation in New York is bad for restaurants and 65% of the restaurants are in danger of closing, while the associations in the sector are struggling for more help.
Stating that the Turkish government has acted well in the fight against the epidemic and has implemented tax cuts, Istanbul Eataly restaurant chef Claudio Chinali stated that there is no rent subsidy. He also mentioned that as Eataly, they have implemented the “home delivery” option.
Virgilio Martinez, the chief of Central in Lima in Peru, said that even though the restaurants are open every day, the possibility of turning into quarantine at any moment makes them nervous. Mentioning that the state only provided a loan called reactiva, Martinez said that the only way to move forward in this process is to be careful, cautious, and positive.
Italian chef Riccardo Bertolino, who has been living in Canada for a decade, stated that they have been closed since October and that bureaucratic procedures are complicated to obtain economic support, while those who lost their jobs during this period receive immediate support of 2,000 $ and at the same time, grants for restaurateurs to pay their employees He added that they could get it.
Barbara Pollastrini said that in Los Angeles, the management allows outdoor dining to meet the needs of restaurant operators and that non-refundable loans and unemployment benefits are also provided by the state.
Yoji Tokuyoshi, the Michelin-starred Japanese chef of Alter Ego in Tokyo, stated that restaurants closed in Japan due to COVID-19 were paid 60% of the salaries every month and added: “I kept my restaurant open but we had no customers. The state paid us back 60% of the six-month rent ”.
Hundreds of restaurants in South Africa were adversely affected by the coronavirus and had to close. According to some statements, the state aid only lasted for a few months. Giorgio Nava said: “I managed not to fire anyone, but I had to close my historic 95 Keerom restaurant for sure, and I also temporarily stopped Carne SA. We try to be optimistic, but it’s getting harder and harder. If we are lucky, we will see tourists by the end of 2021 ”.
Salvatore and Nina Branda, who are the owners of La Sosta, a small and high-quality restaurant in the east of Cape Town, said that they could only host local customers during the epidemic.
Umberto Bombana, chief of Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Hong Kong since 1993, stated that he has not lost his optimistic spirit and said: “Things are going better in Hong Kong than in other countries. The government has provided us around 1000 euros for each employee ”.