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4 Ill <br />C-) <br />CALIFORNIA <br />RESTAURANT <br />ASSOCIATION <br />April 6, 2020 <br />Mayor Howard, Vice Mayor Masur and City Councilmembers <br />Redwood City <br />1017 Middlefield Road <br />Redwood City, CA 94063 <br />Dear Mayor Howard, Vice Mayor Masur and City Councilmembers, <br />The California Restaurant Association is the definitive voice of the food service <br />community in California and is the oldest restaurant trade association in the nation. On <br />behalf of the restaurants in Redwood City, we are pleased to support Item #5.A.10 on <br />the April 6, 2020, City Council Agenda. Item #5.A.10 directs staff to provide an update to <br />the City Council on October 2020 regarding the local minimum wage to be effective <br />January 2021 so that the City Council might consider postponing the increase to help <br />relieve Redwood City businesses. <br />As we respond to COVID-19 with measures to protect the public health and mitigate the <br />spread of the virus, restaurants as well as other small businesses are feeling the <br />unprecedented financial impacts of these measures. In response to the Governor's <br />Emergency Orders restaurants have closed their doors, closed their dining rooms and <br />moved what operations they can to delivery and carry out. As a result, customer traffic <br />and sales have plummeted. The impact of these changes to restaurant operations have <br />been devastating in an industry that is uniquely characterized by razor -thin economic <br />margins. <br />Delaying the minimum wage increase scheduled for January 1, 2021 would give <br />restaurants in Redwood City financial breathing room to help mitigate the economic and <br />employment losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Aligning Redwood City's <br />minimum wage with the State's minimum wage schedule would be an additional way to <br />help restaurants survive these financially perilous times. Additionally, we encourage you <br />to consider additional measures to help restaurants "hibernate" during this crisis and, <br />621 Capitol Mall, Suite 2000 Sacramento, CA 95814 T: 800.765.4842 F: 916.447.6182 www.calrest.org <br />