When Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced that the state will reopen some shuttered businesses as soon as Friday, his decision was quickly met with criticism and some confusion from local officials. The order allows gyms, hair and nail salons, bowling alleys, and tattoo parlors to reopen first, with dine-in restaurants and movie theaters allowed to open their doors on Monday.
Ben Midgley, CEO of Crunch Fitness Franchise, told Cheddar Wednesday that the company will take a close look at its approach to reopening its facilities.
“We are taking a thoughtful and careful approach to this. We want to step into this very carefully, so we’ve prepared a 30-page readiness plan for our clubs so we can make sure we are following a number of different aspects,” Midgley said.
The CEO also said workout classes have been modified to accommodate social distancing. To ensure that gym participants have an adequate amount of space, Midgley said they will have lower class sizes and will sanitize equipment between uses.
The government has been trying to provide relief for businesses through the CARES Act and through small business loans, however, Midgley noted there are limits to its effectiveness.
“There are challenges with the program in terms of the ratios that they can apply for forgiveness on the debt, an amount that has to go to payroll, an amount that can go to your lease payment, an amount to rent,” he said. "There is a tremendous amount of documentation that has to go back to the SBA until those loans are forgiven."
But despite those concerns, the CEO thinks business owners are putting their best foot forward.
“There’s certainly concern. But I think everyone is putting their best foot forward, and they’re having a very positive attitude and are trying to help out in their communities,” Midgley said.
It’s a chicken-and-egg problem: Restaurants are struggling with record-high U.S. egg prices, but their omelets, scrambles and huevos rancheros may be part of the problem. Breakfast is booming at U.S. eateries. First Watch, a restaurant chain that serves breakfast, brunch and lunch, nearly quadrupled its locations over the past decade to 570. Fast-food chains like Starbucks and Wendy's added more egg-filled breakfast items. In normal times, egg producers could meet the demand. But a bird flu outbreak that has forced them to slaughter their flocks is making supplies scarcer and pushing up prices. Some restaurants like Waffle House have added a surcharge to offset their costs.
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The Trump administration has ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to stop nearly all its work, effectively shutting down the agency that was created to protect consumers after the 2008 financial crisis and subprime mortgage-lending scandal. Russell Vought is the newly installed director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought directed the CFPB in a Saturday night email to stop work on proposed rules, to suspend the effective dates on any rules that were finalized but not yet effective, and to stop investigative work and not begin any new investigations. The agency has been a target of conservatives since President Barack Obama created it following the 2007-2008 financial crisis.
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