LIVING IN THE FACILITY.
THE ECONOMIC FALLOUT OF THE
PANDEMIC HAS RESULTED IN HIGH
UNEMPLOYMENT AND BUSINESS
CLOSURES, WHICH IN TURN RESULT
IN FOOD INSECURITY AND EVEN
HOMELESSNESS.
ONE INDUSTRY HARD HIT IS
HOSPITALITY, LIKE BARS AND
RESTAURANTS.
THE WISCONSIN RESTAURANT
ASSOCIATION REPORTS THAT 37% OF
OWNERS SURVEYED SAY THEIR
ESTABLISHMENT IS UNLIKELY TO
STILL BE IN BUSINESS SIX MONTHS
FROM NOW WITHOUT ADDITIONAL
RELIEF FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
AND 46% SAY THEY MAY TEMPORARILY
CLOSE UNTIL THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC PASSES.
TONIGHT WE VISIT WITH A
RESTAURANT OWNER IN THE
EAU CLAIRE OWNER WHO'S SEEN
BUSINESS DROP AND WORRIES FOR
HER EMPLOYEES.
JOANNE PALZKILL OWNS THREE
ESTABLISHMENTS.
SHE JOINS US NOW FROM ONE OF
THEM AND THANKS VERY MUCH FOR
BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
MY PLEASURE.
>> SO WHICH RESTAURANT ARE YOU
JOINING US FROM?
>> WE ARE IN ZA51, OUR SECOND
RESTAURANT IN THE EAU CLAIRE
AREA.
>> SO IT'S ONE OF THREE
ESTABLISHMENTS THAT YOU OWN.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE
HAD TO LAY OFF ABOUT HALF OF
YOUR SOME 50 EMPLOYEES.
WHAT ARE THEY GOING THROUGH AND
WHAT ARE YOU GOING THROUGH?
>> IT'S BEEN A VERY, VERY
DIFFICULT YEAR.
A YEAR AGO THIS MONTH, WE HAD
ABOUT DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF STAFF
AT BOTH OF OUR LOCAL
RESTAURANTS.
AND FOR US IT'S BEEN A
CHALLENGE.
YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH THE
LIMITED DINING CAPABILITIES.
NOW WE'RE GOING INTO WINTER.
SO WE HAVE OUTDOOR PATIOS AT
BOTH OF OUR ESTABLISHMENTS.
THEY'LL NO LONGER BE AN OPTION.
SO IT'S BEEN CHALLENGING.
AND FOR OUR STAFF, THEY ARE
REALLY SUFFERING, BECAUSE WE HAD
TO LAY OFF A NUMBER OF PEOPLE,
OBVIOUSLY, IN THE BEGINNING.
AND EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE WANT TO
WORK AND ARE WILLING TO WORK
HAVE IN MANY CASES, IF THEY HAVE
CHILDREN, THEY ARE STRUGGLING
WITH CHILD CARE ISSUES AT HOME
WITH THE SCHOOLS BEING IN
SESSION, NOT IN SESSION.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO GRAPPLE
WITH THAT.
HOW CAN THEY LEAVE AND DO THAT.
AND SO IT'S BEEN A TOUGH YEAR.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
YOU TELL US THAT YOU IMPLEMENTED
DISTANCING AND ARE DOWN TO ABOUT
AT
25% CAPACITY.
BUT HOW CAN RESTAURANTS STAY
AFLOAT WITH THAT MUCH OF A
REDUCTION?
>> IT'S EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.
IN FACT, IF YOU HAVE A LARGER --
BOTH OF OUR RESTAURANTS ARE
LARGER ESTABLISHMENTS.
AND SO THE WHOLE 25%, EVEN 50%
BECOMES SORT OF A NON-ISSUE
BECAUSE ONCE YOU DO DISTANCING,
YOU'RE ONLY ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE
SO MANY PEOPLE.
SO IT'S BEEN -- THAT ISSUE
ITSELF HAS CREATED THOSE
LIMITATIONS.
AND, YOU KNOW, NORMALLY IN
DECEMBER WE WOULD DO BANQUETS.
THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.
A LOT OF THINGS ARE VERY
DIFFERENT THIS YEAR.
>> YET YOU BELIEVE YOU WILL
WEATHER THIS AND COME THROUGH
AND YOUR BUSINESSES WILL BE
MAINTAINED?
>> WELL, IN OUR CASE OUR OLDEST
RESTAURANT HERE IN TOWN HAS BEEN
HERE FOR IT WILL BE GOING ON 40
YEARS.
SOY THINKSO I THINK WEFER WE'RE IN A BETTER
POSITION THAN MOST.
WE HAD SOME RESERVES.
WE'VE GONE THROUGH QUITE A BIT
OF THAT.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO STAY THE
COURSE.
AND WE ARE ALSO WORKING IN OUR
ESTABLISHMENTS FOR THE MOST
PART.
SO WHEN -- EVEN TONIGHT MY
SISTER, WHO WOULD BE CONSIDERED
PAST RETIREMENT AGE BY MOST
PEOPLE'S STANDARDS IS GOING TO
BE COOKING IN THE KITCHEN AT THE
OTHER RESTAURANT.
SHE'S ENJOYING IT.
BUT SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO
THAT.
BUT SHE WILL DO IT.
>> HAVE YOU HAD STAFF GET SICK
BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19?
>> WE HAVE HAD A FEW PEOPLE.
BUT WE LUCKILY -- BECAUSE WE
HAVE SO FEW STAFF WORKING, IT'S
BEEN VERY LIMITED.
WE IMMEDIATELY HAD TO LIMIT OUR
DAYS OF OPERATION AND HOURS OF
OPERATION.
SO IN OUR CASE THE FEW WE'VE HAD
THAT HAVE TESTED POSITIVE, WE'VE
BEEN I GUESS YOU COULD SAY
FORTUNATE THAT THEY WEREN'T
WORKING CLOSELY WITH CO-WORKERS
WHEN WE FOUND OUT THEY WERE
EXPOSED, SO WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP
THEM QUARANTINED AND SAFELY ROLL
OUT THE REST OF THE TIME THAT
THEY HAD TO BE AWAY.
>> WERE YOU ABLE TO GET SOME
RELIEF FROM THE LAST FEDERAL
LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM OR
OTHER GOVERNMENT AID AND WOULD
YOU LIKE SOME COMING UP IN
ANOTHER PACKAGE?
>> WELL, I DO THINK THAT IF --
WITH THIS CURRENT STATE RIGHT
NOW IF WE DON'T SEE ANOTHER
PACKAGE, THERE WILL BE PROBABLYPROBABLY
-- YOU KNOW, AS YOU STATED IN
YOUR ORIGINAL STATISTICS, ABOUT
37% WILL PROBABLY NOT BE OPEN.
THIS LATEST ROUND DID NOT
BENEFIT US PARTICULARLY BECAUSE
IT WAS FOR RESTAURANTS THAT WERE
OVER A MILLION, A MILLION AND
OVER, AS FAR AS THE LOCAL OR THE
STATE OPERATING.
IT'S REALLY GOING TO BE
IMPORTANT THAT RESTAURANTS SEE
MORE AID.
>> YEAH.
TARGETED AID, YEAH, TO A
HARD-HIT INDUSTRY.
JOANNE PALZKILL, WE THANK YOU
VERY MUCH AND WE WISH YOU LUCK
AND WE HEAR YOUR RESTAURANTS ARE
GREAT.
SO THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
I