Just hours after the federal and state governments announced new gathering size restrictions to 10 people or under, Food Fight Restaurant Group became the first local organization to respond to the new economic reality by announcing the furlough of 750 employees.
Other independent restaurants are likely to join Food Fight as restaurant service restrictions are put in place to help stop the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Caitlin Suemnicht, Food Fight’s chief creative officer, told the Wisconsin State Journal that each of the company’s 20 restaurants is down to four or five employees, and she expressed disappointment that restaurants with drive-thru service could remain open while independent restaurants had to shut down.
On Monday, the Trump administration announced that over the next 15 days, people should avoid groups of more than 10 in bars, restaurants, and food courts. That prompted Food Fight to temporarily suspend dine-in service in favor of delivery, curbside, and carryout service.
On Tuesday, the state ordered bars and restaurants to close for in-house service across Wisconsin and barred gatherings of 10 or more people as of 5 p.m.
Earlier, the state had barred gatherings of 50 or more, but updated that number after a doubling in one day of the number of state residents that had tested positive for COVID-19.
