In this edition of “the business world thanks to COVID-19,” as politicians debate over and pass stimulus packages, some companies and industries are finding their own ways, as of now, to respond to what the coronavirus hath wrought on America and the world.
NCRLA starts restaurant workers relief fund
The North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association, the state’s top association of restaurant and hospitality workers, has started the N.C. Restaurant Workers Relief Fund. Citing the March 17 closure of dine-in service across the state, a website supporting the fund says it’s collecting money for workers who had to be let go.
“There are now thousands of North Carolinians from the restaurant and hospitality industry without jobs or a source of income,” the website, found at ncrestaurantrelief.com, states on its home page. “They need money for the basic necessities. They’ve always served us. Now it’s our chance to serve them back.”
Visitors to the page can either “leave a tip” and donate money or apply for some funds.
Some N.C. cities seeing slower internet
BroadbandNow, a website that tracks the efficiency of internet service providers, reported last week that speeds were down by more than 20 percent in Raleigh, Charlotte and Fayetteville and down by 6 percent in Wilmington.
Tyler Cooper, the editor-in-chief of the website, wrote in a report: “Though many cities listed below have experienced some degree of degradation in terms of median download speed, the vast majority of them are still well within speeds that can support crucial remote work and learning tasks. That said, it is important to note that though speeds may be holding relatively steady across the nation, many areas do not have robust connections to begin with.”
GoFundMe seeing influx of campaigns
According to a March 26 report in the New York Times, GoFundMe is the home for millions of dollars in COVID-19-related relief funds. The company told the newspaper that donors had contributed around $60 million to coronavirus-instigated campaigns, with more than 14,000 campaigns from small businesses.
The NYT’s Nathaniel Popper and Taylor Lorenz reported that around 27 percent of GoFundMe campaigns hit their goal “in times of relative calm,” but wrote that “the current crisis is likely to pose even more difficulties than usual because of the sheer amount of need, and the fact that most people who may be donors are also living through an economic crisis.”
Waffle House declares ‘Index Red’
Who knew that the number of Waffle Houses closing was a barometer by which we measure disaster?
The chain declared a “Waffle House Index Red” last week, closing more than 400 locations in the early days of last week. At the time, Chatham’s two locations were not affected. An NBC News report by Elisha Fieldstadt explained the moniker.
“The Waffle House Index, which was coined nearly a decade ago, refers to the measure of destruction caused by a natural disaster based on how many Waffle Houses remain open or have closed,” the report stated. “The chain, which has restaurants in about two dozen states but is a staple in the South, is known for its disaster preparedness and ability to stay open during destructive weather events, like tornadoes and hurricanes.”
Reporter Zachary Horner can be reached at zhorner@chathamnr.com or on Twitter at @ZachHornerCNR.