A big question looming over counties’ re-opening is how small businesses are going to operate.
A new survey from a San Francisco restaurant trade group finds that they can’t survive by doing takeout and deliveries alone.
The Golden Gate Restaurant Association surveyed local restaurants to find out what they need to stay open in this time of Covid.
So far, they've been getting by through a variety of adjustments: Some applied for federal loans. Some sacked their entire staff, and some got their landlords to defer their rent.
There’s been a lot of talk in the Bay Area about re-opening restaurants with outdoor seating. But only about 40 percent of San Francisco restaurants have permits for this. Just over a third of them said that this arrangement wouldn’t work at all.
And most restaurants owners say they’ll need financial help to fund the extra equipment to operate safely.
One of the biggest problems though is that the majority of restaurant owners say that they can't keep kitchen staff six feet away from each other.
The association recognizes that their survey is limited. It only represents about 10 percent of restaurants in San Francisco.
