Industry

Senate Passes Mixed Drinks to Go; Washington Talks of New Relief Bill

July 13, 2020
Massachusetts Restaurant Association

 
Massachusetts

State Senate passes legislation authorizing mixed drinks to go
  • Today, the state senate passed S. 2812 (to expand take-out/delivery options in response to COVID-19
  • The House passed similar legislation back on June 2nd. While the issue has been passed by both branches, they have not passed the same bill.
  • We are working to get some form of this legislation to the Governor's desk for his signature.
 
Washington DC

Congressional leaders say there will be a fifth coronavirus relief bill
  • both branches of government and both parties have differing ideas on what should and will be included in Congress' next relief bill
  • the bill is expected to be introduced and negotiated in the next couple of weeks
 
Restaurants Added 1.5 Million Jobs for the Second Consecutive Month

The restaurant industry expanded payrolls for the second consecutive month in June, as local economies across the country continued the gradual process of reopening. Eating and drinking places added a net 1.5 million jobs in June on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 
  • The healthy June increase followed a nearly identical gain in May and represented a significant chunk of the 7.5 million net jobs added to the overall economy during the last two months.
  • The two-month employment bounce only marks the beginning of a long climb back to pre-coronavirus staffing levels
  • It should be noted that the nearly 3 million jobs added to payrolls didn’t even represent half of the total restaurant jobs lost at the depth of the coronavirus lock down period.
 
Webinar on Demand

Cultural Intelligence for Restaurant Managers During COVID-19 - Hosted by the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance.
 
As the industry faces ongoing difficulties, growing cases of discrimination, health disparities, and emotional challenges during COVID-19 are now leaving operations scrambling to understand how to address these issues. In response to these challenges, the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA), which continues to remain dedicated to keeping the conversation going on diversity throughout the food and hospitality communities hosted a webinar this week.

To view the recording click here