Here's why affordable childcare is a restaurant issue

It's no secret that the restaurant industry is in dire need of more affordable childcare options — especially considering the significant number of single parents working in our field. Today, we bring you an exclusive interview with an industry leader who is spearheading efforts to advance the conversation on childcare for restaurant workers. Plus: Simone Biles is opening up a restaurant. Find out which airport you'll need to visit to eat there. Pull up a chair for the latest edition of the Prep. 

On the menu:

💠 An interview with IRC executive director Erika Polmar
💠 Selling affordable steak dinner
💠 Why are soda sales going flat?
💠 Becoming a mac and cheese millionaire

Exclusive interview: Childcare in the restaurant industry 

Members of the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC) recently flew into Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress and policy leaders to remind them of the vital role restaurants play in our economy. 

One of the issue IRC executive director Erika Polmar is advocating for is childcare, which, she admits, might not seem like an obvious restaurant industry issue. Polmar spoke with The Prep about how the IRC is addressing needed changes in childcare for the restaurant industry. 

"Oftentimes people hear childcare, and they're like, well, 'Why is a restaurant advocating for childcare?' And they don't realize that our industry employs the most single parents in the country," said Polmar in an interview with the Prep. 

Part of the disconnect is that many people still don't see restaurant work as real work, she said. 

"It's less about childcare and parenthood and making people understand that restaurant and hospitality work is a professional career choice. And so lending some credibility or some professionalism to the industry or making people understand, this isn't just the job you do when you're home from college during the summer, and this isn't the job you do until you get a real job. This is a job people do by choice. It's a job that people can do quite well at, whether they're in the kitchen or on the floor."

IRC is advocating for reforms to three key tax provisions related to childcare, Polmar said. Take the Employer-Procpaivided Child Care Credit. "This credit offers incentives to businesses to offer childcare services for their employers, but it's not a flexible enough program for most businesses to be able to take advantage of that childcare credit, as much as a business would like to support their employees by either matching them with a childcare provider or opening one," she said.   

By advocating for childcare reforms in Washington, Polmar hopes to "make it clear to the federal government that childcare is critical for the success of our economy and the success of small independent businesses."

Rankled over rankings and reviews

Ben Shewry, executive chef and owner of Melbourne’s acclaimed restaurant Attica, has grown frustrated with reviews and rankings despite running a restaurant that’s received and benefited from its fair share of them. In his new book Uses for Obsession, Shewry writes that the  “oppressive review system – the same one that has brought privilege and fame to a few chefs like me – has contributed greatly to bankruptcy, divorce, depression, and suicide.” And he questions the opaque way ratings and rankings are decided: “It seems like no one, including the reviewers, knows how it works.” (The Guardian)

Can restaurants afford to serve affordable steaks?

Paying $30 for a steak dinner in this economy? It’s tricky but possible, says Mark Bucher, a cofounder of Medium Rare restaurants, where diners can get sliced Culotte steak, fries, salad, and bread for around 30 bucks. Bucher says he controls costs by locking in annual contracts with vendors. Meanwhile, in Manhattan, Legasea Bar & Grill has had to adjust its unlimited ribeye steak with french fries and salad deal. “Guests were exceeding our projections on how much they could eat,” said Matt Strauss, who oversees food and beverage operations for Lagasea parent Tao Group. They’ve increased the price from $45 to $49 and made it available only on Sundays and Mondays. But they’re still coming out on top. Strauss said the restaurant increased revenue by 178% year-over-year in February. (Bloomberg)

The Take-Away with Sam Oches

 "The American dream is fully alive and well even in a tough market, because people figure it out."

Andrew Smith of the Savory Fund, which invests in emerging restaurants.

💠 How to help restaurants impacted by Hurricane Helene

💠 This 400-pound tuna was the star of Sushi Con

💠 JD Vance's stop at a Pittsburg restaurant did not go smoothly 

💠 Food services company Sodexo mulls acquiring rival Aramark

75%

Adults who would opt for smaller-sized portions for a lower price. (National Restaurant Association)

What we’re reading: The Mac & Cheese Millionaire: Building a Better Business by Thinking Outside the Box by Erin Wade, the restauranteur behind Homeroom. She opened her mac and cheese restaurant to fall in love with work but, in the process, she found the, well, recipe, for a successful business. 

What we’re watching: Substance, a new movie starring Demi Moore, which Eater argues is “one of the more notable food-forward films in recent memory."

Who we’re following: Five on the Hill, the stunning cocktail bar overlooking the Hollywood Hills, which just completed a seasonal makeover for fall.

Written by: Gloria Dawson

Edited by: Katie Parsons