Are you a Family Owned Restaurant Owner? Restaurant Worker? Restaurant Patron?

Almost everyone in America can answer ‘Yes’ to one of these three questions.

Dining out is an integral part of our culture and the restaurant industry a significant component of the employment landscape of our nation. Sadly the culinary establishments of America are under serious threat after forced closings were ordered across the nation in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. 

Most restauranteurs have spent years proactively paying into their business interruption insurance policies, assuming that upfront investment would pay off now when they need it the most. What most people do not know is these same small business owners are now filing insurance claims to ease their economic burden in the face of COVID-19, only to be swiftly denied.

Why is this happening? 

ISO or Insurance Service Office, Inc is the author of much of the legal language used in many insurance policies and in 2006 they recommended an exclusion for virus/bacteria be added to most commercial policies. Many interpret these actions as having occurred behind the scenes and without the knowledge of policy holders, creating the image of a bad faith, sneaky and intentional act by the insurance industry to avoid covering their policy holders during a global and national crisis such as the COVID-19 virus.

Now, as most restaurants across the nation look to their business interruption insurance policies for relief after the vast amount of forced closings as they relate to COVID-19, claimants are being flatly denied coverage. This is an outrage.

Local, independent restaurants are the backbone of our communities, tourism, and redevelopment in every corner of the U.S.  We directly employ over 13 million people across the country, and indirectly employ hundreds of million of workers up and down the food supply and delivery chain -- from growers, packers, fisherman, linen services, delivery people and more -- who depend on the continued revenue of restaurants to stay in business.

Small businesses are being encouraged to take out Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the Small Business Association. These loans do offer lower interest rates and reasonable repayment terms. Nonetheless, they are loans. They are additional debts that many businesses may not be able to afford to repay, even under the best of conditions down the road when this virus is in the rear view mirror.

The bottom line - if the insurance carriers would approve claims for their small business policy holders affected by COVID-19, a safety net they’ve paid into on good faith to utilize should an emergency arise, many businesses would not be forced to take on more debt to stay afloat and ride the storm of this virus.

State governments are starting to take action to enact change and encourage insurance carriers to cover claims filed from small businesses in the face of the current crisis. New Jersey legislators have proposed new legislation that would force insurers to pay claims despite the exclusions for virus/bacteria baked in the cake of their commercial policies. We need more of this action from our state and federal government to help restaurant owners and their workers. 

We have the power to make change happen. Please support restaurants across America bounce back from this crisis by signing this petition. The future of the culinary industry in our country depends on you!