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D.C. restaurants have been unable to seat customers for two weeks — and it could be months before they can again — as coronavirus-related social distancing measures continue, and a new group has formed to help support the struggling industry.
The co-owners of Adams Morgan restaurant Tail Up Goat teamed up with other restaurant owners to form the D.C. Hospitality Coalition, which launched this weekend, Washington City Paper reports.
The coalition's formation comes after the D.C. government March 17 forced bars and restaurants to stop in-house service, limiting their offerings to takeout and delivery. Virginia and Maryland followed suit with similar orders. The mandated closures immediately led restaurant owners to begin laying off hundreds of employees. Total unemployment claims around the region have skyrocketed to more than 100,000 in recent weeks, the Washington Post reports.
The new group aims to be a resource for bar and restaurant owners and laid off workers, and to help industry stakeholders come together for advocacy efforts. It plans to center its efforts around expanding unemployment benefits, health insurance options and food assistance programs, and to help those struggling with rent and mortgage payments.
The D.C. Hospitality Coalition is also coordinating with similar groups in other cities, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia and New Orleans, to unite their voices.
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