To: Senator John Thune

From: South Dakota Restaurant Owners

CC: Senator Michael Rounds, Representative Dusty Johnson

Date: November 16, 2020

Subject: Requesting your support for the RESTAURANTS Act of 2020 (H. R. 7197)

I am writing to request your support for the RESTAURANTS Act of 2020. By cosponsoring H.R. 7197, you will demonstrate to your Senate colleagues that you recognize the value of independently owned restaurants and bars, and lead them to action.

Before the pandemic, the hospitality industry contributed $760 billion to the country’s GDP. Roughly 500,000 small, independently owned restaurants and bars employed 11 million cooks, bartenders, servers and dishwashers. During this crisis, more than 20 million American workers lost their jobs. Nearly 1 in 4 of them worked in food and beverage. Making the RESTAURANTS Act law will reduce national unemployment by an estimated 2.5% and stimulate nearly $300 billion worth of vital economic activity in our industry. This law will defend against the very real possibility that 85% of struggling neighborhood haunts will close permanently.

South Dakota did not avoid impact by staying “open” throughout this health crisis. The leisure and hospitality industry accounts for 40% of all jobs lost in our state since the beginning of March, with independent restaurants being the hardest hit. Saving the jobs of 48,500 hospitality workers in our state would save South Dakota $3 million in unemployment benefits and insurance taxes.

It is no secret that our industry is one of the hardest hit by COVID-19. Our nation’s restaurants and bars did our duty to protect the public by closing, and we continue to sacrifice sales in the health interest of our fellow neighbor. We did not cause this crisis. The RESTAURANTS Act is not a Bailout. It is crucial assistance in bridging the gap for family owned businesses where PPP assistance and SD CARES Act funds for Small Business were not enough. Additional assistance that is restaurant-specific is needed to address losses in revenue beyond spring and summer months. Restaurants depend heavily on busy holiday seasons to bolster themselves through slower winter months in the first quarter. With COVID raging across our state, and temperatures dropping to prevent outdoor dining, the RESTAURANTS Act provides critical assistance.

We small business owners and our dedicated staffs wake up every morning before the sun to stoke the stoves and get coffee on, and we’re up well after bar close to clean up and count the till. In the best of times, margins are razor thin. We spend a third of our revenues supporting farmers and food producers. We spend the other third on our staff. We are the heart and soul of our communities. We are where first dates, rehearsal dinners, retirement parties, and wakes are held. This is not a bailout. This is a jobs plan, and we are eager for your support. This pandemic has been awful. Letting hundreds of thousands of small businesses fail will only make it worse. Passing this legislation will improve the lives of all South Dakotans.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME

YOUR RESTAURANT NAME (Fill out the form below to sign on to this letter)