03/17/2020
Please read and share! Support Alaska's hospitality industry!
Dear Alaskans:
First off, please share this.
Second, post on social media and tag along with the social media page of the restaurant, bar, or store that you visit any time that you purchase food or beverages for delivery or take-out or buy gift certificates or drink tokens.
Contact your politicians at every level - local, state, and federal - and ask them to fight for financial relief for our local businesses and the tens of thousands of employees who service them. There are businesses and employees in every community who are unable to survive a week of closure without drastic, swift assistance.
Most importantly, please please please support your Alaska businesses today, tomorrow, and in the coming months. Tourism and hospitality make up the second largest industry in Alaska and account for tens of thousands of jobs and billions of annual dollars for Alaskans. Our restaurants and bars especially need you now more than ever. For those businesses that are able to fully reopen, it is extremely likely that the tourists will not be there, Alaskans won't be able to afford to dine or go out, and/or the industry workforce will be gone. The ones who are currently open are already seeing massive declines in business.
These are the places you celebrate your birthdays, sports victories, marriages, anniversaries, and even just the places you go to get away from the stresses of life. They are the heart of every community across our great state and right now, many are struggling to survive. The financial livelihoods of many service employees and business owners - your friends and loved ones - end tonight for the unforseeable future.
The Alaska CHARR team has been working around the clock to mitigate the forthcoming impacts on the hospitality industry. Last night, we sent a request to Governor Mike Dunleavy to allow on-premises establishments to remain open and – at minimum – consider alternatives to blanket closures, as well as deferring to local governments. We thank Gov. Dunleavy for continuing to allow these establishments to continue to remain open - unless ordered by a local government - at this time.
Our team has been exploring all possible federal, state, and local relief and economic stimulus options for business owners and employees. We have and will continue to work closely on these matters with state and federal officials, along with association leaders in other states, the National Restaurant Association, the CDC, and other Alaska business and economic entities. As things progress and options unfold, we will share information as quickly as possible.
We love Alaska. Alaskans are strong, and our industry will eventually make it through this, but we need your help!
