"This is the end of the independent restaurant era, and I don’t know any chef in their right mind who feels hopeful right now. We have meal kits; we’re getting heaters. But at the end of the day, I’m on the Titanic, trying to throw out buckets of water to stay afloat. It’s the fluctuations that really hurt us. We rely on predictability for staffing, for inventory. Now we don’t have a clue. Some of it is COVID-related; some of it is protest-related; and some of it related to fears about eating out. Sometimes it’s a viral article on Facebook that affects consumer confidence." - ByAshlea Halpern