SAN DIEGO — Crazee Burger in North Park offers take-out only, but News 8 spoke with the CEO, Garrett Bernard, and he says staying alive is a struggle, not just for him but for all restaurant owners.
Garrett said even though the number of customers has gone down, paying rent to be in the North Park location has not.
"My overheard isn’t changing, but clearly my revenue and my cash flow are obviously going to be drastically impacted,” Garrett said.
Crazee Burger is known for its exotic meat burgers and wide variety of craft burger. Typically, you’d see a long line at the popular spot in North Park, but during the coronavirus crisis, few people are taking advantage of their take-out options.
Revenues were down 75% and now they’re down 50%. There’s slight improvement, but it’s not enough.
Similar stories can be heard from the owners of the more than 90,000 restaurants in California. California Restaurant Association says restaurants employ 1.4 million people and generate 7 billion in sales tax, more than any other industry.
The association sent the following safety recommendations to Governor Newsom:
- Requiring temperature checks for restaurant employees
- Mandatory hand-washing schedules for food workers, and face coverings for employees who interact with the public
- Appropriate distance between customers, or set up barriers between tables
- Tables limited to family and household members in one table, and must not exceed 10 people
- Restaurants can utilize a phone or text-based reservation system, meaning customers wait outside until the table is ready
Garrett is more than happy to do whatever it takes to keep his customers and employees safe and has a message for the people who have supported Crazee Burger through this difficult time.
“If it weren’t for the support of those customers, I’d already be out of business. This is only sustainable and doable with the support of the customers,” Garrett said.
Newsom said counties can reopen restaurants, malls, office buildings, childcare and services like car washes and pet groomers if they’ve had zero deaths related to COVID-19 and just one case per 10,000 residents during a two-week stretch.
Garrett said after looking at the money he’s spending versus what he’s making, he doesn’t think he’ll be able to survive like this for more than six months.