The Restaurant Industry Needs Help Says Michelin Star Chef: "We need a long term strategy"

Restaurants continue to suffer during this pandemic, Chef Jonathan Benno owner of Benno, Leonelli and Leonelli Bakery tells Yahoo! Finance the industry needs help but government should seek the input from hospitality professionals.

Video Transcript

SEANA SMITH: So I know it's been an extremely challenging year for your industry, for you specifically. Now, indoor dining closing again in New York City as of today. What does the new restriction mean for your business here, going forward?

JONATHAN BENNO: Well, thank you for having me. Unfortunately, we had to close our casual Italian restaurant, Leonelli. We are continuing to operate our bakery, Leonelli Bakery. And our fine-dining restaurant, Benno Restaurant, remains closed. So back in March, we had approximately 94 employees, and now I think we have 14.

ADAM SHAPIRO: What do you think? I mean, we all lived through this with you, but we don't suffer the way your employees are suffering and you are suffering. What do you think the next three months holds? Are you going to be able to make it? Are we going to lose 75% of the restaurants in places like New York?

JONATHAN BENNO: Well, I truly hope that we don't lose 75% of the restaurants, bars, cafes. I think it's going to be a very difficult three months, as we deal with the pandemic, as we deal with, you know, winter in New York City-- not conducive to dining outside. You know, there's a really-- there's a lot of really smart people working on this, and there's been some shelters constructed that make it a little more friendly to dine outside. But it's New York, and it's December. And sadly, there's a lot of people out of work.

SEANA SMITH: Yeah, speaking if a lot of people out of work, we had the Dunkin' Brands chairman and former CEO Nigel Travis on Yahoo Finance earlier today, and he was talking about the need for restaurants, need for you and your colleagues there in the industry to get some government help, how the restaurant industry needs a bailout. Is a relief bill for restaurants-- how critical is that for survival here over the next couple of months, when you talk about the fact that so many people-- or more people-- are going to be hesitant to eat outside, just given the cold temperatures?

JONATHAN BENNO: It's going to be crucial to our survival. I mean, you know, we use that 75% a few minutes ago. You know, if we want to lower that number, then we, as an industry, need help. We need help to-- we need-- help has to be given for our staff. You know, sadly, in many industries, people are leaving New York and the New York area, but there's still a lot of people here that need help today. And we need a really intelligent, long-term strategy that's developed with restaurant leaders to make sure that next year, there's still restaurants and bars to go to.

ADAM SHAPIRO: Has anybody from Governor Cuomo's office or any kind of government entity ever reached out to restaurant owners as a whole to try and work through these issues?

JONATHAN BENNO: I think, together with the New York City Hospitality Alliance, our voice-- I'm not going to say our voice is heard, but our voice is out there. And again, I-- the relief has got to come with the input of hospitality leadership because they understand the business the best and they understand the needs of our staff the best.

You know, and every city is different. I worry about my friends and colleagues in San Francisco and Chicago and Los Angeles and everywhere in between. But New York is a unique and a different market from San Francisco, and that's why, again-- I'll say it again, it's important that we have restaurant leadership leading the discussion.

SEANA SMITH: And when we just look ahead a year from now, two years from now, we look at the future of restaurants and the entertainment industry in New York, what do you think that will look like?

JONATHAN BENNO: I mean, that's a $1 trillion question. I think that the first thing that has to happen is we have to restore confidence, and then people have to be confident congregating in groups. You know, outdoor dining isn't going to sustain-- I'll speak in the first person-- my operation in New York.

What sustains my operation is we're located in a hotel, so it's a full hotel. It's a busy bar. It's a busy dining room. Until-- you know, until people feel comfortable coming together-- and what makes New York an exciting, dynamic city is density. I think the answer to your question is confidence has got to be restored, and people have to feel comfortable coming together again.

SEANA SMITH: Well, Chef Jonathan Benno, we know this is a very tough time. We wish you and your colleagues all the best, and we thank you so much for taking the time to join us today on the show.

JONATHAN BENNO: Thank you very much.