The Independent Restaurant Coalition, founded by independent chefs and restaurant owners, has urged U.S Congress to regulate in relief plans so that independent restaurants can survive the post-coronavirus crisis.

Prominent restaurant industry figures such as Tom Colicchio, Naomi Pomeroy, Kwame Onwuachi, Andrew Zimmern and José Andrés are leading the newly formed Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC). In a letter sent yesterday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer the IRC laid out four proposed policy changes to the stimulus package, otherwise known as the CARES Act. Noting that the Cares act’s $ 1 trillion contributions to independent restaurants were not enough for the crisis, the IRC called for the law to be regulated with small businesses consideration. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 12 million people work in the restaurant sector in the United States and the shortfall caused by President Donald Trump’s by calling to a restaurant meeting only of fast-food chains, will be filled by IRC which represents nearly 5,000 chefs and restaurant according to founding member Colicchio.

During the press briefing, Colicchio said: “We are not looking for a bailout. We just want to make sure we all have a business to return to, ” in the statement. In the letter sent by IRC, they demanded that problems in the salary protection program should be corrected, creating a restaurant stabilization fund to the tune of $50 to $100 billion in grants that would help restaurant owners pay vendors, reopen, and requiring business interruption insurance to cover coronavirus despite the coronavirus exclusion added later by insurance companies, and creating new tax rebates covering such as insurance and business provider refunds or rent refunds.