Op-Ed: The restaurant revival that turned into a revolt

Originally published in The Hill.

After a catastrophic year for the food and beverage industry, America’s restaurateurs hoped the holiday season would mark somewhat of an economic revival — especially with the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines. This month, they were banking on catering, gift cards, and socially-distanced Christmas parties to help their businesses’ otherwise brutal year.

But in numerous states, governors crushed that hope with abrupt and arbitrary lockdowns. Now, across the United States, a restaurant revival has turned into a revolt. In Minnesota, small businesses formed the “ReOpen Minnesota Coalition,” which is raising funds to support those owners hit with legal expenses for remaining open. In California, many restaurants have elected to stay open. Dino Ferraro, a Huntington Beach restaurant owner, told the Los Angeles Times that he’s “not in denial about the virus, but we have to move forward.” 

This trend is especially evident in Pennsylvania, where Gov. Tom Wolf announced…

Read more in The Hill.