Governor Half-Whit Continues To Punish The Restaurant Industry

The Detroit News: Michigan extends indoor dining ban but allows casinos, cinemas, bowling alleys to reopen

Restaurants will now remain closed through January 15 - and many will never reopen.

As one commenter to the article pointed out:

You see before,  restaurants could be open but theaters and gyms need to be closed because science!!

But now theaters and gyms can be open but restaurants need to be closed because science!!

Exactly so.  There's simply no real scientific basis for this continued closure, even as the Gov flatly declares it to be so without evidence.  This is especially so when you read the article that restaurants accounted for an alleged 4% of outbreaks, but high schools accounted for at least 100 outbreaks (no percentage of the total is given) and they by contrast are allowed to reopen.

This is most likely the last straw and the death knell for many of the small business restaurants in this state.

A lot of this is the governor vindictively sticking the knife into the restaurant industry for their daring and  challenging her closure order in court, and daring to question her proclamations. It also hits a lot of small business owners who likely don't support her, and makes lots of former restaurant employees dependent on government for their welfare now,  so it's a win-win for her.

Some Michigan Restaurants Choose Not to Take This Lying Down

In the face of likely financial ruin and imminent closure of their businesses, some Michigan restaurateurs are choosing not to love Big Gretch.

The Detroit News:  Restaurants sue to overturn Michigan's indoor dining ban

Hopefully this Federal court challenge will succeed, as have many of the legal challenges made to the Governor's excessive, overbroad, and unconstitutional use of her powers over the course of this pandemic.

Stockholm Syndrome Hits Michigan - He Loved Big Gretch

Apparently some Michigan restaurateurs, about to face near certain disaster from this upcoming 3 week shutdown and after suffering months of being shut down in the prior unconstitutional order are exhibiting signs of Stockholm syndrome.

The Detroit Free Press: Hard-hit metro Detroit restaurant industry prepares for another shutdown during key season

Over 2,000 restaurants have already permanently closed their doors in Michigan due to the previous forced closure.   It's likely according to the article that a further 6,000 won't survive, especially as this closure hits them in the time they normally begin to break even or show a profit over the year.

 If you really believe this one will only last three weeks, just  like the first one was supposed to be for two, I have a nice bridge connecting the two peninsulas in Michigan to sell you.

Some restaurant owners point out this  sudden order may put them over the edge, especially if they've just stocked up with food supplies.

We will note that so far only 4.4% of spreading events have been traced back to restaurants.   This ill-conceived order will lead to over 250,000 workers being laid off, and many may not have jobs to come back to if the restaurant being shut down does not survive.

Others are exhibiting clear signs of Stockholm Syndrome, identifying with their captor that is destroying their livelihood:

Cafe Muse co-owner Greg Reyner is incredibly frustrated. He said he's done everything right and keeps the safety of his guests and staff first...."We’re going into our busiest month of the year," Reyner said. "This is where you go from red to black. So it's very troubling. I make as much money the week between Christmas and New Years as I do the entire month of September. We do so much revenue that week we basically build up a nest egg to make it through January, February and March. If we’re going into our slow season already in the hole, a lot of restaurants will not survive."

but then he continues: 

 Reyner said he supports Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the state's decision to shut down. He points the blame at "obstructionist Republicans" like President Donald Trump and the U.S. Senate, who he said "are more concerned with ramming a judge through than helping small businesses.

So he's supporting the person that is issuing the orders that are deliberately and directly destroying his livelihood with these arbitrary unilateral decisions. Truly, He loved Big Gretch.

His projection to blame Trump is hilarious.  It's not Trump shutting him down, the blame for this decision rests solely with our dear Governor Half-Whit.

I half expected him to end his statement with "Thank you Governor, may I have another?",

Folks, if you're out at a restaurant dining tonight in the last night before the shut down, tip your wait staff like they're about to be out of work for the next 3 plus weeks. Because they will be.

It All Started Going Downhill When They Went Politically Correct On Their Menu

Yet another restaurant establishment is going bankrupt and reorganizing due to the effects of our Governor Half-Whit's closure orders.

The Detroit News:  HopCat restaurants sells assets for $17M, under new ownership

 We will note that HopCat had previously caved to progressive pressure to rename their flagship Crack Fries (which were real good) as that was apparently offensive to crack addicts, which must have been a large portion of their customer base - or not as the case may be.

Eater Detroit: HopCat Is Finally Renaming Its Controversial ‘Crack Fries’ 

Only controversial to those with too much time on their hands, really.

Yes, they renamed them Cosmic Fries to get cred with the woo-woo crowd and stop offense of addicts.   Not quite the same ring to it at all, and it was all downhill from there.

Covid and the Governor's overreaching and unconstitutional executive orders just drove the final nail in this tale of "get woke, go broke".