Read on Twitter
Today's food for thought:
@tejalrao on the complicated feelings of ordering takeout to support restos, but also knowing workers are putting their health at risk and don't have the luxury to work from home. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/dining/takeout-restaurant-ethics-coronavirus.html
@tejalrao on the complicated feelings of ordering takeout to support restos, but also knowing workers are putting their health at risk and don't have the luxury to work from home. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/dining/takeout-restaurant-ethics-coronavirus.html
In the restos I’ve talked to, there’s a split between places that closed altogether because employees felt unsafe or that takeout isn't feasible/worth it, as well as places doing takeout to hold on to staff and have any kind of cash flow to keep the business afloat.
But takeout alone won’t help most restaurants be able to pay thousands of dollars of rent (and other fixed costs) over the next ???, especially as layoffs are happening everywhere and people are going to be spending less.
It’s a very tough position to be in. @aliciakennedy wrote about the big structural changes needed from the higher ups to ultimately make restos a more viable business and protect the people in it. https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/04/9662411/restaurant-workers-food-service-unions-coronavirus
Side note: I truly hope as a whole, the genre of food writing gets more respect after so many food writers are showing how food affects EVERYTHING: politics, race, geography, economics, health, religion, inequality and ON TOP OF giving you recipes on the daily.
(Like, how is writing about something that everyone needs to STAY ALIVE considered frivolous?)
And...one more: On the subject of takeout @seriouseats has a very comprehensive guide on COVID-19 food safety. Am I still going to order takeout? Yes. Will I do it while sharing the complicated feelings Teja articulated so well? Yup. https://www.seriouseats.com/2020/03/food-safety-and-coronavirus-a-comprehensive-guide.html#covid-food
*Tejal* GAH
