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Triad's Hospitality Industry Calls On Lawmakers For More Support

The Skrimp Shack on Silas Creek Parkway in Winston-Salem, N.C. BETHANY CHAFIN/WFDD

A group of local business owners in the hospitality industry is asking lawmakers for help as they try to emerge from closures due to COVID-19 related restrictions.

The Triad Food and Beverage Coalition polled several business owners and industry workers in the region. They used that information to create a list of policy recommendations for local, state and federal officials. The white paper outlines their safety and financial needs.

It includes a request to modify the federal Paycheck Protection Program, and protection from lawsuits by employees or customers regarding illness or death from COVID-19.

Algenon Cash owns Zesto Burgers and Ice Cream and Skrimp Shack in Winston-Salem and is director of the coalition. He says they also hope to see a local stabilization fund to help restaurants and bars adjust.

“Those transitions come with costs and you've got to be able to stock up to inventory, you may need to make adjustments to the actual infrastructure of the business itself and they are going to need additional support and access to capital to do those things," says Cash.

Claire Calvin owns The Porch Kitchen and Cantina in Winston-Salem. One of her employees there recently tested positive for the coronavirus, so she decided to temporarily close that location and another restaurant.

Calvin says she's encouraged by recent state legislation that expands outdoor dining but says more is needed.

“Our officials are going to tell us what to do to stay safe. OK, great. We can try to do those things, but help us put in place a financial plan," she says. "To operate on 40 percent of capacity is just tough. And so many restaurants are going to need support not just today but until we get back to the point that this is behind us.”

North Carolina lawmakers are also considering whether or not to allow the sale of mixed drinks to go.

The group's effort comes as two long-time restaurants recently announced they're closing for good: Mary's Gourmet Diner in Winston-Salem and the Smith Street Diner in Greensboro. 

*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here. WFDD wants to hear your stories — connect with us and let us know what you're experiencing.

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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