Two-week ‘freeze’ puts more pressure on C.O. service industry
Bend diner adds online ordering, deliveries; hours cut, layoffs loom
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Jake's Diner in Bend is just one of 10,000 restaurants across Oregon that will be impacted by the state's executive order to go on a 2-week 'freeze' starting Wednesday.
Alarmed by the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases, these new restrictions issued by Gov. Kate Brown on Friday harken back to the "Stay Home, Save Lives" order issued in March.
Jake's Manager, Chris Scott says the restaurant had a feeling another shutdown would be coming.
"We had a little bit of anticipation that this might happen," Scott said Monday. "We're already taking steps to set up our online ordering and do deliveries, which is something new for us."
Restaurants are being required to only provide curbside pickup and delivery options, and employees like Ricci Fisher are seeing their hours cut.
"I will be on unemployment, as I'm sure a lot of people will be," Fisher said. "We're trying to do as many hours as we can here, and I plan on working and doing to-go orders."
Despite the measures to reduce COVID-19 infections, organizations like the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association don't see the service industry as the problem.
ORLA's President & CEO, Jason Brandt said he's troubled by the recent restrictions, as a news release from the organization on Monday made clear.
"I'm a little perplexed," Brandt said. "I look at the weekly COVID reports from the Oregon Health Authority, and I see cases from our industry are less than 1%."
Just last week, OHA identified 2,893 COVID-19 cases associated with workplaces. Of those, 22 were tied to restaurants, representing just 0.76% of current workplace outbreaks.
Brandt said he fears the industry will take sacrifices that won't be worth it in the end.
"So you're taking away a controlled environment and potentially making your problems in other environments worse," Brandt said. "Our biggest fear is that the sacrifices we're making for the betterment of society will actually be sacrifices that will not be worthy of the ultimate goal."
