Stay-at-home order for Philly area extended to June 4 | Morning Newsletter

Happy Mother’s Day, everyone. I hope you’re finding some way to spend time with loved ones while we’re all social distancing. We’ll be at this for a little longer in the Philly area. Gov. Tom Wolf has extended the stay-at-home order for us, while other parts of Pennsylvania have begun reopening. Also, we asked Inquirer food reporter Michael Klein how the Philly food scene is dealing with the effects of the coronavirus.

— Lauren Aguirre (@laurencaguirre, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Each week we go behind the scenes with one of our reporters or editors to discuss their work and the challenges they face along the way. This week we chat with Michael Klein, who covers the Philly food scene, about what’s been going on lately with local restaurants.

If you had to give one word to describe how Philly’s food scene is right now, what would that be, and why that word?

I was going to say “struggling.” I mean, this is obvious. I’ll say “fearful.” This is a crisis that no one had predicted, and even the short-term prospects are unknown.

Do you think this pandemic will have a permanent effect on Philly’s dining culture?

Permanent? I doubt it. But until there’s a vaccine in 18 months or so, the coronavirus is going to put a damper on the idea of going out. Many people probably will not want to be out among mobs of people. Large, splashy restaurants with high operation costs, which need large crowds and private parties, will see few bookings in the short term. In fact, many wedding venues are allowing couples to slide their events a full year, to 2021. Bars will recover quickly once we get some kind of all-clear. Not to be judgmental, but overall the younger bar clientele does not seem to be as fearful about the virus.

How about some silver linings. What have been some upsides to the rapid changes, innovations, and pivots we’ve seen in the restaurant space?

I know of only one upside: Chefs and restaurateurs are spending more time with their kids, which was a sad side effect of the “old” restaurant world. Aside from that, not one of the hundred or so owners I have spoken to in the last few weeks is doing as well financially or emotionally. The many restaurants that pivoted to delivery and carryout are at best treading water. Their business models, which include rent and other fixed costs, did not accommodate this kind of upheaval. Very few takeout/delivery restaurants would choose to pay $10,000 a month in rent. Even the delivery restaurants are frustrated; it’s nerve-wracking to work under the fear of getting yourself or your employees sick and the precautions they have to take are daunting.

If people want to support the workers who continue to provide food and services, where should they look?

Go to the (verified) GoFundMe campaigns or to do-good missions like SavePhillyEats and Fuel The Fire. Pressure the government to provide meaningful relief, whether it’s grants or no-interest loan money, especially to the small operators. Restaurants don’t have the lobbying power that the airlines or other big industries have, but they are a huge part of American life.

What stories are you looking for during this pandemic?

I'm looking for people (in and out of the business) who are coming up with creative solutions to feed their families and neighbors and to help one another.

You can email Michael Klein with tips and story ideas at MKlein@inquirer.com and sign up for his weekly Let’s Eat newsletter here.

Thanks for sharing some motivation along with this beautiful shot, @philly_stoops.

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout-out!

With so much new information coming in about the coronavirus, it can be hard to know what’s safe. A lot of people have asked us if it’s okay to open windows in their homes. Turns out, air itself doesn’t seem to be a risk. You can safely open your windows. In fact, you probably should. Not only would you get a pleasant breeze in your home, but it’s good for your mental health, too.

“Good article Mike. I’ve watched most of The Last Dance. I never really liked MJ as a person but respected him as no doubt the greatest basketball player ever. This series has only confirmed my opinions of him. I only hope our young Sixers stars also watched and learned what is takes to be truly great. MJ’s passion for the game, his work ethic, that killer instinct should be a lesson to both Joel and Ben that are still a long way away from greatness.” — tchilly58 on In ‘The Last Dance,’ Michael Jordan shows us who he really is. And tramples a man’s memory to do it.

Fox News host Dana Perino took a look around a chaotic New York City in mid-March and, like a lot of people, headed for her beach house at the Jersey Shore. She’s been hosting two daily shows, plus a children’s story time every day, all from the spare bedroom of her home in Bay Head.