by Bob Gershberg, CEO/Managing Partner, Wray Executive Search
Our thoughts are with you, your families and associates during these uncertain trying times. We continue to remain shattered by the magnitude of this crisis as we learn more each day about the impact COVID-19 is having on our industries and communities.
During these challenging times, our top priority is the health and safety of our team, customers, partners, and the broader community.
On behalf of the entire team at Wray, we hope that you, your families, and colleagues stay healthy and safe. We're in this together, and I believe that we'll come out the other side stronger for it. Sooner rather than later, we hope.
We are, if nothing else, a resilient lot. If you need to chat, vent, confer, commiserate, or just take a shot at when this will be behind us, please give any one of us a call. We are here for you.
BE WELL! STAY SAFE!
Click below for the latest update on COVID-19 and the restaurant industry from Black Box Intelligence
Controlling What We Can During the Ultimate Black Swan Event of Our Lives
by John Gordon, Principal & Founder, Pacific Management Consulting Group
Wow ! What a difference a month has made. Life, always unpredictable, has veered towards matters of survival of our families, our employees, our guests, the business, our stakeholders and our nations. The long time heroism, generosity and resilience of the United States, told and evident throughout our long history as a nation is just now coming out after a short period of shock.
The magnitude of this shock is of course a black swan, an event so rare, almost paranormal, that you can’t believe your eyes. Virus and pandemics were not unknown—see the Spanish Flu of 1918-1920. But CV-19 as I call it has hit our industry at a bad time—at the end of winter, at a period of time when some brands and operators were stressed with operational and financial challenges, such as too high debt levels versus cash flow generated, too much competition, too high rents and too little staff.
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
~ Fred Rogers
ExecutiveChat
Interview with Sheila G. Bennett, Executive Director of CORE – Children of Restaurant Employees
by Rebecca Patt, Senior Vice President of Development, Wray Executive Search
Sheila Bennett is Executive Director of CORE (Children of Restaurant Employees), a non-profit that offers monetary grants and support for restaurant employees with children affected by a medical crisis or natural disaster. The charity is quickly pivoting to meet the burgeoning needs of restaurant employees diagnosed with COVID-19.
Sheila started her role with CORE in January 2020. Over the last 12 years, she has also served she as Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships for Fishbowl Inc. and National Director of Dine Out for No Kid Hungry with Share Our Strength.
What services does CORE offer, and how has it changed since the Covid-19 outbreak?
We are focused on helping food and beverage employees with children who are coping with a medical crisis, diagnosis, illness, injury, death, or a natural disasters, including floods, fire, tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Last month, we helped families in Tennessee following the strong tornadoes that paved a path of destruction for 53 miles. We have stayed the course on CORE’s mission since day one, and this work continues.
These grants may cover housing expenses including rent, mortgage, and utilities that we pay directly, or they may receive funds through a universal gift card to help provide basic needs for their family, such as food, childcare items including diapers or formula. Our website also provides a COVID-19 Informational Resource Center.
To support the great work that CORE does for children of restaurant families, please consider clicking the CORE logo below to be redirected to their donation page
