Let Them Know

About Us

“Let Them Know” is a public education campaign to increase the awareness among loyal customers that their neighborhood restaurants are in dire need of assistance from their government officials.

The CRA is fighting to keep restaurants alive with the hope that someday, when the coronavirus pandemic is behind us, the families who run our favorite restaurants will be able to open their doors again and bring their neighborhoods back to life. The CRA, which has been advocating for restaurants for 114 years, fights for this industry throughout California, at the state and local level.

The Industry at a Glance

• Before the pandemic, there were 90,000 restaurants in California, generating about $7 billion per year in sales tax revenue that funded critical public services.
• At the outset of the shutdowns in March we anticipated that about 30% of our neighborhood restaurants could close permanently. As the shutdown has lasted longer than anyone could have predicted, some estimates have suggested the permanent closings of independent restaurants could be as high as 85% without government action.
• Before the pandemic, 1.4 million Californians worked in restaurants. Since March, as many as 1 million of these workers have been laid off or furloughed.
• In California, 60% of restaurants are owned by people of color and 50% of restaurants are owned, or partly owned, by women.
• These neighborhood businesses are an integral part of the fabric of their communities, serving as gathering spaces for families, friends, and community groups. Restaurants, cafes, and brewpubs bring neighborhoods to life and are places where Californians make and share memories.

What Restaurants Need

We are asking the state legislature to return to work and hold a special session to address the restaurant crisis. With a few common-sense actions, like a statewide moratorium on restaurant evictions and help negotiating with insurers for the cost of business interruption, restaurants can have a fighting chance.

What You Can Do to Help

At the beginning of the pandemic, many Californians tried to help by ordering takeout and delivery from shuttered restaurants.

Unfortunately, months into the pandemic, action is needed by the state legislature and other political leaders. Wherever you live, consider what your elected leaders are doing to help small businesses survive this pandemic. Each time you vote, you consider your values – things like your position on environmental issues, or healthcare or education. We are asking you to add the survival of small businesses into your voting priorities. 

Real leaders should really help.