Data assessment shows a lack of correlation between economic sanctions and virus mitigation 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 26, 2021

Contact: 
Jason Brandt, President & CEO, ORLA
503.302.5060 | JBrandt@OregonRLA.org

Featured Industry Operator / On-Site Access:
Treva Gambs, Gamberetti’s Italian Restaurants
503.881.5761 | Treva@gamberettis.com

Wilsonville, OR– Oregon’s restaurant and lodging industries continue to suffer greatly according to the latest data made available by the Oregon Employment Department. Leisure and hospitality businesses lost 25,500 jobs in December. An announcement today from the Governor’s office is welcome news for lottery retailers, restaurant operators with functional outdoor dining space, and Oregon’s lodging industry eager to bring amenities including indoor pools and hot tubs back online for their guests. Still, thousands of restaurant operators are not assisted by these helpful modifications if they are not lottery retailers and lack available space for outdoor dining options.

“Oregonians in our industry can’t pay their monthly bills with two weeks of employment certainty at a time,” said Jason Brandt, President & CEO for the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. “The reality of the 2-week county risk category assessments is taking us down a dangerous path where tens of thousands of Oregonians no longer have paychecks again. The lack of continuity in operations is permanently altering too many Oregonian livelihoods. We must open some indoor dining statewide now, and we can do it safely.”

Oregon’s aggressive economic restrictions on one of the state’s largest private sector employers continues to lack data to substantiate the disproportionate sacrifices being endured by these small business operators. According to weekly reports by the Oregon Health Authority and a declaration from Dr. Dean Sidelinger in federal district court, Oregon’s foodservice industry accounts for less than 1 percent of all workplace outbreaks and 4.7 percent of Oregon’s overall outbreaks, respectively. Yet, Oregon’s foodservice operations continue to be shut down in the vast majority of the state.

“It doesn’t make sense to me how I can have all this space to safely spread out my customers in my restaurant and have the government continue to tell me I can’t use it when I know I can do it safely,” said Treva Gambs, owner of Gamberetti’s Italian Restaurants in Salem and Albany. “The discrimination we are facing is keeping me from taking care of my employees and my customers in ways that can really help our communities get through an emotional and depressing time.”

A recent analysis of December data on the status of restaurant closures across states with mask mandates shows no correlation between the number of cases and deaths and the decisions to close indoor dining. The chart below illustrates the lack of connectivity. In addition, the year 2020 included multiple press conferences highlighting the lack of data to close foodservice operations across Oregon. Governor Brown and Dr. Dean Sidelinger shared comments in press conferences on multiple occasions acknowledging the lack of connectivity to the hospitality industry during periods of the year where hospitality businesses remained open and case counts remained low.

Restaurants and Bars Among Hardest Hit by COVID-19 Pandemic
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[Wilsonville, OR] – The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association (ORLA), in partnership with the National Restaurant Association, recently completed a statistically significant survey around To-Go Cocktails, drinks made with distilled spirits for takeout, pickup or delivery to go along with meals purchased by guests.

The survey, conducted July 3-6th, shows 72% or nearly three in four Oregonians, said they would favor a proposal allowing customers to purchase cocktails or mixed drinks (made with distilled spirits) with their takeout and delivery food orders from restaurants. This is in addition to beer and wine, which is currently allowed.

Support is highest among those between the ages of 24-39 at 83%, with respondents between the ages of 58-74 showing the least support at 66%. Twenty-eight percent of adults said they strongly favor the proposal.  Fifty-nine percent of Oregon adults said they purchased takeout or delivery food from a restaurant for dinner during the week before they were surveyed.

ORLA President and CEO Jason Brandt said, “This is so encouraging for our members who have struggled just to stay open and keep people employed.”

Brandt continued, “This has been an incredibly difficult time when restaurants and bars have struggled to deal with the challenges of being shut down, having to pivot to offer only takeout, pickup or delivery and then trying to invite guests back into dining rooms and make them feel safe and comfortable. Knowing almost three out of four Oregonians support the option to purchase cocktails or mixed drinks to go with their meals means some restaurants and bars who might have previously had to close down actually have a chance to make it now.”

Allowing customers to purchase cocktails or mixed drinks (made with distilled spirits) for pickup, takeout or delivery requires a statutory change, meaning the Oregon Legislature would need to make the change to state law. Thirty other states currently offer To-Go Cocktails including Washington and California.

“From a public safety perspective, if more businesses are able to offer the service of delivery of alcohol to their customers, the need for those customers to physically go into stores and businesses is reduced, thus reducing the risk of community spread of COVID-19,” said Brandt.

Recognizing the need to help those who may have difficulty with alcohol addiction, ORLA’s website outlines a number of resources available to individuals, as well as training information to aid in prevention. More information on these resources and trainings can be found at OregonRLA.org/crisis-services-and-training.

For more information please contact Greg Astley, ORLA Director of Government Affairs at 503.851.1330.

New research shows coronavirus continues to devastate restaurant industry
New research from the National Restaurant Association indicates that the restaurant industry has lost $120 billion in sales during the last three months due to the impact of coronavirus in the United States. State mandated stay-at-home policies and forced closures of restaurant dining rooms resulted in losses of $30 billion in March, $50 billion in April, and another $40 billion in May.

The latest operator survey conducted by the NRA drew more than 3,800 responses, illustrating the extensive damage to restaurant businesses since the outbreak began. It found that the restaurant industry, which experienced the most significant sales and job losses of any industry in the country in the first quarter of 2020, expects to lose $240 billion by the year-end.

ORLA Proposes Relief Package to Help Restaurants Save Jobs, Plan for Recovery

WILSONVILLE, OR (April 23, 2020) – No other industry has suffered more employment or sales losses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic than the restaurant and hospitality industry. According to a new national survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association, ninety-four percent of Oregon restaurant operators say they have laid off or furloughed employees since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in March. Across the nation, more than 8 million restaurant employees have been laid off or furloughed – about 2 out of every 3 restaurant employees.

“The restaurant industry and its employees have been significantly impacted by this pandemic,” said Jason Brandt, President & CEO, Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association (ORLA). “Restaurant owners have said existing state and federal relief programs will not enable them to keep their employees on payroll throughout the downturn. We’re calling on our elected leaders to take more action to save jobs and get the industry on track for recovery.”
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Oregon findings from the survey include:

• Ninety-four percent of Oregon restaurant operators say they have laid off or furloughed employees since the beginning of the outbreak
• National Restaurant Association estimates 81 percent of 156,200 employees in Oregon have been laid off or furloughed during this time – 127,000 people
• Four percent have already permanently closed; 6% expect to have to permanently close in the next month 
• On average, operators saw an 83 percent decline in sales from April 1 to April 10

​ORLA has assembled a list of proposed relief efforts for the Governor and the Legislature to take action on and start the long process of recovery for the restaurant and lodging industry. To date, over 255 Oregon hospitality businesses have signed on to show solidarity for the industry and urge lawmakers into action.

The National Restaurant Association conducted the survey from April 10-16 of more than 6,500 restaurant operators nationwide (owners/operators of eating and drinking places, which employ 12 million out of the total restaurant and foodservice workforce of 15.6 million).

Armed with this new research, the National Restaurant Association has a clearer picture of the severe challenges that lie ahead and has asked Congress for a focused solution on behalf of an industry that has been the hardest hit by the coronavirus mandates. The association submitted a restaurant industry "Blueprint for Recovery" that outlines how Congress can improve the outlook for our survival.

Visit OregonRLA.org to read ORLA’s Proposed Relief Efforts for Oregon’s hospitality industry and access the latest information and resources related to COVID-19.

Hospitality provides an industry of opportunity! Download the illustration here.