Restaurant struggles return

If you, a coworker, employee, brother in law, baseball team or quarterback haven’t been persuaded to get a vaccine for the health benefits, perhaps considering the financial consequences will.

 

"If you choose not to get vaccinated against the coronavirus without having a legitimate medical or religious reason, you might want to start preparing for the cost of that decision," writes renowned personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary.

 

“You could lose your job as more employers require workers to get vaccinated. Even without a vaccination mandate, what if you get sick and run out of sick leave — assuming you have it — or can’t work because you’re hospitalized.”

 

“How will your family survive financially? The research is still coming in on the long-haul effects of COVID. Will you end up with long-term care expenses because you remained skeptical about the vaccines?”

 

 

 

About 30% of all small businesses in the U.S. could not pay their August rent in full or on time, according to a national survey by Alignable. That down from 35% who reported rent problems in July.

 

But for restaurant owners, it's trending in the opposite direction, reports Andy Medici for the BBJ.

 

About 45% of restaurant owners could not pay their August rent on time or in full, up from 40% in July.

 

Some operators say the Delta variant is already keeping customers away, according to National Restaurant Association survey which found…

 

All of that points to the need for Congress to replenish the SBA's Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

 

Less than a third of applications nationwide were awarded before the program ran out of funds.

 

As a result, some of our local restaurants received vital financial support while a place down the street may have received nothing.

 

 

While Gov. Charlie Baker and the Legislature jockey over how to disburse more than $5 billion in fed ARPA funds, Emily Ruddock is worried that one key sector of our economy will be overlooked: the arts.

 

“It can be challenging to advocate on behalf of art, culture, and creativity because artists, their creations, and the nearly infinite ways in which they make life worth living are so woven into the tapestry of our lives that we barely notice them,” Ruddock of MASSCreative, a statewide arts advocacy organization, writes in a CommonWealth op-ed.

 

In 2019, arts and cultural nonprofits contributed $2.3 billion to the state’s economy and $100 million in state tax revenue. But last year the sector reported $588.3 million in pandemic-related losses.

 

Ruddock adds this too: “We are facing a widescale mental health crisis related to the debilitating effects of isolation so many of us have experienced over the past two years. Art heals. And we are at a crossroads."

 

 

A reminder that Newton’s mask mandate for all indoor public spaces begins this Thursday (Sept. 2).

 

The mandate includes grocery stores and other retailers, restaurants and bars, performance and event spaces, fitness clubs, salons, social clubs and places of worship.

 

Customers may remove face coverings while seated in restaurants and actively eating or drinking.

 

The mask mandate applies only to any areas accessible to the public, so if you work in an office building or other space that is not open to the public, face coverings are not required.

 

Watertown’s indoor mask mandate began last week. Details here. 

 

Wellesley recently approved restrictions for municipal buildings and workers starting tomorrow.

 

Needham does not currently have any mandatory rules in place.

 

And today, the Baker administration will seek permission to impose a mask mandate for all staff and children age 5 and up enrolled in state-licensed pre-kindergarten, after-school and other early education programs.

 

 

 

 

The City of Chicago has filed two lawsuits against DoorDash and Grubhub for allegedly deceiving customers and using unfair business practices, reports CNBC.

 

The suits echo longstanding claims from restaurant owners that the platforms advertise delivery services for their businesses without their consent, which sounds similar to alleged practices we've heard about here.

 

 

 

Resilient Watertown wants to hear from residential property managers and landlords. The Climate and Energy Plan aims to help us reduce energy, water, and waste, stay safe during emergencies and promote thriving neighborhoods and resilient housing in Watertown.  Landlords survey here. 

 

 

Commercial landscapers who use leaf blowers in Newton are now required to register at City Hall before working on properties in the city.

 

In addition to registering with Inspectional Services, landscapers must attest that they understand Newton’s bylaw which prohibits the use of all leaf blowers above 65 decibels. Landscapers will also be required to post registration information on their company vehicles. The registration fee is $50. Contractors or those who hire their services can be fined for violations. Details.

 

 

 

More than 300,000 Bay State residents will lose all unemployment benefits at the end of this week and many employers are hoping that will bring more applicants out to fill open positions.

 

But in a must-read Globe story Katie Johnson talks to a variety of folks who are about to lose benefits explores some of the many reasons why that’s easier said than done.

 

Fear of the Delta resurgence, lack of child care and a skills gap are all big factors, they tell her. And for many hourly workers, so are low wages.

 

"The pandemic has prompted some unemployed workers to reconsider returning to low-paid, public-facing service jobs that could put their families at risk as the highly contagious Delta variant rages. Some of those jobs pay just enough for them to lose their MassHealth medical benefits, but not enough to live on,” Johnson writes.

 

Attracting workers to our inner suburban communities are also hampered by the same problems we had pre-pandemic; including our affordable housing shortage and inadequate transportation to jobs here.

 

A reminder to Newton-based employers: Your new hires may be eligible a $1,000 bonus when they take a job in Newton.

 

Even if your business is not located in Newton, employers should post their positions with Mass Hire which offers a direct pipeline to workers coming off or on unemployment.

 

The chamber's job posting site and list of available positions is here.

 

 

Finally, congratulations to Kelly Hynes McDermott, Vanessa Schwede and Amy Weil, winners of our first-ever Need To Knows contest (last item here).

 

McDermott, Schwede and Weil and others correctly identified businesses from our four communities in our rebranding video (below). 

 

The other two questions -- find two colleges/universities and find two siblings in the video -- were harder. But they came the closest:

 

Olin College and UMass at Mount Ida are both pictured at the 3:10 minute mark.

 

And if you go to the 4:00 minute mark, you'll see Prince Harry and Prince William smiling down upon the NBC10 newsroom.