Think Out Loud

After many restaurants closed mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, a number of local restaurant owners came together to try to figure out how to access help and support each other. Portland restaurateur Naomi Pomeroy co-founded the Portland Independent Restaurant Alliance, and she’s been talking with state and local representatives to help them understand the kinds of challenges that restaurants face. Pomeroy has also joined the national Independent Restaurant Coalition, which is pushing for a $120 billion federal relief package specifically for restaurants. She joins us to talk about how she and many of her fellow independent restaurant owners are thinking about reopening.