Delivery Apps High Fees Are Adding Additional Strain To Restaurants
Due to social distancing guidelines, restaurants have been forced to adopt takeout or delivery-only models, but the high service fees charged by the delivery apps are putting those relationships to the test.
According to the Financial Post, restaurant owner Alex Rechichi, who runs a Toronto-based burger chain, did not mince words when describing food delivery apps.
“I have three words to describe the relationship: A necessary evil,” Rechichi told the Financial Post.
Rechichi’s restaurants once got 35% to 40% of their business from apps such as Uber Eats and Postmates, but now he’s pushing customers to order through a proprietary app because it gives the company more control.
Delivery apps typically take 25% for the service they offer, which restaurants can deal with in normal times when most orders are dine-in. But when all your orders are being placed through delivery apps, that 25% can be the difference between staying open and shutting down.
“We’re an industry where our margins are very, very thin,” Rechichi told the Post. “And at a time like this when 95% of your sales are going online and your delivery partners are taking 25% for the service they offer, it’s really hard to make money.”
Last week, four major food delivery apps, Uber Eats, Grubhub, DoorDash, and Postmates were named in a class-action lawsuit brought by restaurant owners and operators arguing that the rates being charged were unfair.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Monday, takes issue with the delivery apps’ “No Price Competition Clauses” that force restaurants to charge uniform prices for menu items, even for food orders that were not generated through their digital platforms.
In turn, this “unlawful price restraint” prevents restaurants from offering discounts to customers who would otherwise order directly or dine-in, the lawsuit alleges, and ultimately leads to customers being ripped off.
The National Restaurant Association said its industry risked losing $225 billion in sales and between 5 million and 7 million jobs over the next three months.
Todd Perrin, the chef behind Mallard Cottage and Waterwest Kitchen and Meats, said he considered using delivery apps, but felt it was too much work for little to no profit.
“It’s not a money-making proposition,” he said. “You’re bringing in some cash flow, you’re able to keep some of your guys employed, but everybody is working twice as hard and you’re barely treading water.”
Some large chain restaurants received funds from the Paycheck Protection Program. Shake Shack and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse are just a couple that applied for and received funds, although both have now stated they will give the money back. For restaurants and businesses looking for help, several big businesses are offering to help.
House Democrats Demand EPA Protect Low-Income, Minority Communities During COVID-19 Pandemic
The fight against climate change has been a hot topic in the news within the last few years after observations show how our waste is adversely affecting the environment. With the oceans warming and ice in Antarctica continuing to melt, governments around the world are doing their part to shrink their carbon footprint and make the necessary changes needed to heal our planet.
Now U.S. Rep. Bobby L. Rush is leading the movement in the U.S. to ensure the Trump administration is protecting its citizens amid a public health crisis.
Rep. Rush, joined by 83 House Democrats, called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that minority and low-income communities have equal access to vital clean air protections. His call to action comes amid recent reports and studies showing that minority and low-income communities are dying at disproportionate rates from COVID-19 and that COVID-19 patients who live in areas with high air pollution have a greater likelihood of dying from the illness.
“The EPA’s sole mission is to protect human and environmental health. Yet, this Administration has been more preoccupied with protecting the financial health and wealth of polluter and profiteers,” said Rep. Rush in a press statement. “This behavior is especially abhorrent considering the countless Americans who are literally fighting for their lives against an illness with a lethality linked to poor air quality — this is especially true for minority and low-income communities.
“Under this Administration, the agency tasked with protecting us from environmental harms is on an unrelenting path to dismantle clean air regulation,” he continued. “The consequence of these actions is to the detriment of air quality generally and the vitality of our communities — particularly low-income and minority communities…I am thankful to all of my Congressional Colleagues who joined this effort and are committed to fighting for equal access to vital clean air protections.”
Tyler Perry is Reportedly Working on a Safe Way to Reopen His Atlanta Studio Complex
Tyler Perry is reportedly working on a plan to safely restart his TV and film production projects at his sprawling 330-acre studio in Atlanta, Georgia in wake of the coronavirus outbreak, according to TMZ.
The actor, producer, and entrepreneur is planning to reopen his sprawling studio complex if he can implement testing for COVID-19 for cast and crew members. If cleared, actors and staff would work and live on-site as they shoot their productions. According to the TMZ report, each production could be shot in about two-and-a-half weeks.
Although Perry doesn’t have a specific time frame when he’ll actually restart his shows, it was reported that he would start shooting his own shows, which air on OWN, Nickelodeon, and BET. Among his series are The Haves and the Have Nots, Young Dylan, Ruthless, Sistas, and The Oval.
The successful filmmaker opened the Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta back in October after turning a former army base into a brand new studio. The historic feat made him the first African American to own a major film production studio of this magnitude. The studio opening gala drew top names in entertainment to the celebration, including celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Cecily Tyson, Taraji P. Henson, Jill Scott, Whoopi Goldberg, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Spike Lee, Ava DuVernay, Michelle Williams, Kelly Rowland, Beyoncé, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, and Halle Berry.
The Tyler Perry Studio was acquired by Perry in 2015 and is located on the historic grounds of the former Fort McPherson army base. The major motion picture studio showcases 40 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, 12 purpose-built sound stages, 200 acres of green space, and a diverse backlot. His previous studio location occupied two former Delta Air Lines affiliated buildings in the Greenbriar area of southwest Atlanta and was sold in 2018 after being at this location since 2008.
Meek Mill, Jay-Z, and Madonna Team Up to Send 100,000 More Masks to Jails and Prisons
REFORM Alliance, the criminal justice reform organization founded by Meek Mill, Michael Rubin, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, and others, teamed up with Madonna and Jessica Alba’s husband, film producer Cash Warren, to send 100,000 additional masks to more prison facilities.
REFORM Alliance announced the partnership with Madonna’s Ray of Light Foundation and Warren’s Pair of Thieves to send personal protective equipment (PPE) to several correctional facilities across the nation to help protect incarcerated people and staff from the COVID-19 virus. According to a press release, 50,000 masks will be delivered to the Cook County Jail and the Illinois Department of Corrections, where more than 600 incarcerated people and staff have tested positive COVID-19. An additional 20,000 masks will be delivered to the Louisiana Department of Corrections and the remaining 30,000 masks will be distributed between Vacaville Prison in California, FCI Ray Brook in New York, and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department in Massachusetts.
Other organizations making contributions include The Bail Project, The Dosberg Fund, Operation LIPSTICK, and #cut50.
This is the second PPE donation that REFORM made to correctional facilities. Earlier this month, REFORM partnered with advocate Shaka Senghor to send 40,000 masks to the Tennessee Department of Corrections; 5,000 masks to the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman; and 50,000 to the Rikers Island jail complex in New York City. Another 2,500 will also be sent to a Rikers medical facility.
Leaders within the advocacy group said the masks will help protect incarcerated people, correctional officers, and healthcare workers in the fight against COVID-19. They also warned that without proper protections and provisions, the prison system can implode into a hotbed for the novel coronavirus since confined spaces make it nearly impossible to enforce social distancing guidelines.
In addition to the protective gear, last month the REFORM Alliance revealed the SAFER Plan, a proposal urging governors across the country to release elderly and nonviolent criminals to home confinement. They’ve also asked for suspended jail sentences for technical violations and better sanitary conditions in prisons to reduce the spread of the outbreak.
“Governors and people who run jails and prisons in this country need to take the pandemic in Rikers as a warning,” said Van Jones, CEO of REFORM Alliance. “We’re in danger of seeing prisons coast-to-coast turn into morgues. It is important to get medical supplies in, and it is equally important to get more human beings out.”
More Than an NFL Wife: How Ashley Peterson Achieved Her Lifelong Dream of Starting a Cosmetics Company
Ashley Peterson is used to doing it all. The former model and mother of two is married to NFL star Adrian Peterson. And since November 2018, she’s also the CEO of her own company, Elizabella Cosmetics.
Black Enterprise caught up with Peterson to talk about how she turned her longtime passion into her entrepreneurial “baby,” fulfilling a lifelong dream in the process.
How did your passion for makeup start?
I’ve always enjoyed playing in makeup and trying new and different looks. My parents bought me my first makeup kit when I was, maybe, 5, for Christmas. And I’ll never forget it. My dad came in and said to my mom, “Have you seen Ashley? She did her makeup and it actually looks good.”
My mother always enjoyed makeup as well. She did sell Mary Kay for a while. I was able to help her with her inventory, we were able to sample all her products, and it was something fun that we were able to do together.
Why did you decide to start your own company, and why did you chose to do it when you did?
It’s been a dream of mine since I was a young girl. I’ve always had a vision board, and owning my own cosmetics company has always been on that board.
I started Elizabella Cosmetics after my second son was born. As a woman, when you’re married and you have kids, I feel like you can lose yourself so easily. Being a wife and mother is absolutely amazing, but once my second son got to a certain age I began to look inside and ask OK, now what’s going to make you happy, Ashley? And in that journey of finding myself, I began to explore starting my own company and going after the other dreams that I had put on the back burner.
What skills did you take from your modeling career that have been able to translate into what you do now?
Modeling is so much more difficult than one would imagine. And I learned a lot of valuable lessons. You have to have an amazing work ethic; you have to learn to be fluid and versatile. I also learned how to work with different people—in those environments, you’re meeting people that same day and you’re expected to collaborate with them and work really well with them.
Also in that industry, I learned how difficult it can sometimes be for makeup artists with women of color. They didn’t always have the shade that looked good with our skin tone. I was able to learn a lot of different techniques from so many amazing makeup artists, even from photographers. And I was also so inspired by makeup artists and how I would see them mixing and blending colors. Those are things I think about when choosing shades for Elizabella; I try to choose shades that will look good on all women.
You helped your husband with some of his businesses before you became an entrepreneur yourself. What lessons did you pick up?
I learned a lot of things: being hands on, having open lines of communication, learning how to make people accountable so that when you’ve given them direction and walked away you can make sure that it’s done. Also learning things like accounting, how to look at the books, how to look at the money. Because math is not my strong suit. I’m actually a super creative individual. So learning the business side was extremely helpful to me.
But I would definitely say the biggest and most valuable lesson I learned is that no one is going to run your business how you would run your business.
How has being an entrepreneur been different than your expectations?
When I started this I was just so, like, head in the clouds. I thought I was going to launch my website and everything would be gone, you know, in 24 hours we’re selling out. Yeah, that’s not how it happened it all.
It’s not just about beautiful colors. I may have the most amazing colors, the most amazing longwear formula, but the branding and the social media have got to be on point as well. When we go to trade shows, we sell out—like our booth is full the entire time. However, that doesn’t necessarily translate when you go to online sales. Online sales and online marketing are totally different.
I was expecting it to be a lot easier and I got a rude awakening. I had to work 10 times harder than I ever would have imagined, had a lot of sleepless nights. So I had to learn so much in this process but it’s been a lot of fun learning as well.
(Image: Courtesy of Elizabella Cosmetics)
What sets Elizabella Cosmetics apart from all the other cosmetics companies?
I think of Elizabella Cosmetics as more of a boutique lip brand. I’m a lipstick girl; I’m all about lips and lashes. A bold lip has always been my thing, which is why I gravitated to just lips when I started this company. I really wanted to be true to myself and to what makes me tick.
I wanted to create a product that was versatile, that looked good on all women, and that was also affordable. You get a lot of product for the price point—actually double the product of some of these other companies, which was super important to me because when I buy a lipstick, I want to make sure that it’s worth the money, that it lasts.
We truly care about how long you’re going to be able to wear your lipstick because you’re a busy wife, you’re a busy mother, you’re busy businesswoman, you don’t have time to keep reapplying all day. Not only that, but that $26 lipstick is going to last you for months, because you only have to apply it one, two times a day.
How long did it take you to get to that perfect longwear formulation?
I tried so many different formulas, and I actually tested mine out for months.
I was always a wearer of this certain red lipstick before—it was my absolute favorite; I would not deviate from it. When I first tried our signature red, Bella, I immediately fell in love, and have not used any other red lipstick since.
That was really a huge test for me because I’ve tried all kinds of reds, and I am true to my red lipstick. But as soon as I tried our formula and I saw how it felt on my lips… . I knew that it also had vitamin E oil, so it was really hydrating. And I was able to see how long it lasted even with me eating or drinking. If this red lip could stay all day like this, I knew that this was the formula I had to go with.
Fall Asleep to Diddy With a Free Meditation From Audible
The coronavirus pandemic is affecting so many aspects of our lives, with our well-being at the top of the list. If you’re looking for ways to better manage your stress, and especially if you’re having trouble sleeping, Diddy has a solution for you.
The hip-hop legend and entrepreneur has teamed up with Audible and Thrive Global to offer a free sleep meditation as part of a new collection of resources designed to help people get a better night’s sleep.
“A good night’s sleep is essential for keeping our minds and bodies strong, but it’s not always an easy thing to get—especially now,” states Audible’s website. “To help, we’ve created a collection of free audio experiences designed to invite relaxation and sleep.”
Diddy’s 20-minute meditation is intended to help listeners slow down and drift off so they can get the restorative rest so many of us have been lacking as the anxiety produced by the outbreak and the new realities of self-quarantine mess with our sleep patterns.
“To help you get the sleep you deserve, I recorded a sleep meditation with my friend Arianna Huffington and Thrive,” Diddy told his followers on Instagram, “that is being offered for free—yes for free—on Audible.”
“Listen to me … see I can put you to sleep,” he continued.
Here’s the official description of the meditation:
“Honor Yourself” Meditation Guided by Diddy Find out what it’s like to have the nightly affirmation of a hip-hop legend and entrepreneur in your ear as Diddy, in his signature velvety lilt, confidently guides you through his relaxing and reassuring meditation designed to help you slow down and find inner peace.
And a preview of what you’ll hear:
You can access meditations, bedtime stories, and sound baths from Diddy and a slate of sleep, meditation, and wellness experts through the Audible app at Audible.com/Sleep. And to make it even more sleep-friendly, you can set a sleep timer or cast to a connected device for hands-free listening.
As part of the initiative, Audible and Thrive Global will be donating to Newark Working Kitchens to feed those in need in Newark, New Jersey, and healthcare workers on the front lines.
100% of St. Lucia’s COVID-19 Positive Patients Have Recovered
The death rate of the coronavirus has caused panic among the world as the spread continues. As the death toll rises, so far, there have been no deaths on the island of St. Lucia.
Saint Lucia’s chief medical officer, Dr. Sharon Belmar-George, made an announcement via YouTube on Wednesday that the island has a 100% recovery rate for all 15 patients who had the coronavirus in the country.
“To date, all of the positive cases of COVID-19 in Saint Lucia have recovered, with the remaining two cases who were in isolation receiving negative COVID-19 results and have since been discharged from the hospital,” Belmar-George said. “This now places Saint Lucia at the 100% recovery rate of all COVID-19 cases.”
Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Health released a statement on Friday, to say that the country’s success so far is “a result of the collective efforts of our health professionals working collaboratively to manage our cases and the sacrifices made by the public during the period of shut down.”
“As of April 23, 2020, the World Health Organization reported a total of 2, 544, 792 confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, with 175, 694 deaths.
“There are now 957, 402 confirmed cases in the region of the Americas. The affected region includes Dominican Republic (5,300), Haiti (58), Barbados (75), Jamaica (233), Cuba (1189), Dominica (16), Grenada (14), Trinidad and Tobago (115), Guyana (67), Antigua and Barbuda (24), Bahamas (65), Saint Vincent and Grenadines (13), Guadeloupe (148), Martinique (164), Puerto Rico (1,298), US Virgin Islands (54), and Cayman Islands (66).
“Saint Lucia has recorded a total of 15 confirmed cases of COVID-19 all of whom have recovered and been discharged from care. Results received on Friday, April 24, 2020, from testing carried out during the period April 21-24, 2020 of 60 samples are all negative.”
“Saint Lucia has modified its testing strategy by increasing the testing on the number of samples from the community respiratory clinics. This would assist us in the assessment of COVID-19 locally,” Belmar-George said.
Saint Lucia is enforcing a partial shutdown and curfew from 7 PM to 5 AM to try to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The island’s measures include “school closure, national zoning to manage population movement, the closure of non-essential businesses, travel restrictions, the partial national shutdown, and the instituting of a 24-hour curfew.”
The officials on the island have also emphasized the “use of masks, testing, isolation, treatment of sick persons, and adoption of hygiene and other infection prevention measures.”
“We remain at a very critical position in the implementation of the national response to the COVID-19 threat,” Belmar-Georga said. “Large-scale public health and social measures have been implemented in an effort to break the transmission of COVID-19 when in-country transmission was noted. The country must note that many of these measures need to be sustained in an effort to achieve low COVID-19 levels in country.”
Joe Biden Appealing To Young Voters Who Are Uniting Against Trump
A new study shows Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden has a sizable lead among young voters, who are gathering together to fight against President Donald Trump’s re-election.
According to Essence, a poll conducted by the Harvard Institute of Politics, shows 60% of 18- to 29- year-olds across the country support Biden versus 30% who support Trump. John Della Volpe, the director of polling for the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School, believes the difference is due to young voters worried about the future.
“Well before COVID-19 struck, we knew this to be a generation anxious about their future. The pandemic brought these anxieties into focus,” Della Volpe, said. “In the survey, we found that stress related to debt, the cost of housing, access to healthcare, mental health resources, and concern about whether or not loved ones will survive coronavirus are the prism from which young Americans will view and engage in this campaign. Self-defense, in 2020, is one of the primary motivations for voting.”
Although this is good news for Biden’s campaign, Della Volpe warns the campaign needs to continue to appeal to young voters.
“Currently, they are giving him the benefit of the doubt,” Della Volpe said in an interview with USA Today. “There are a lot of young people who preferred Sanders, voted for Sanders, but are willing to say in a two-person matchup, they’d be with Biden right now. He cannot take that cohort for granted. And my read over his activities the last few weeks is that he’s not taking them for granted.
Although progressives Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have endorsed Biden, his primary victory was largely due to African American voters. Earlier this week Biden wouldn’t commit to appointing an African American woman as his vice president, which could hurt him. Biden also has been unclear about his stance on marijuana legalization, another factor African Americans will be paying attention to in the coming months.
Entrepreneur Danika Berry On How Overcoming Adversity Propelled Her to New Heights in Business
Danika Berry, founder and president of DB Agency, is known for helping celebrities and entrepreneurs make their mark in their respective industries. Over the span of her career, Berry has worn many hats. She has created, sold, and produced TV shows for OWN and USA Network and is also the founder of Glam Body, a beauty brand that sells natural body scrubs and promotes self-care and wellness. And while many have tried to quantify her success by measuring how well she does her job, Berry is proud of her ability to bounce back and pivot.
While sitting at a kitchen table with divorce papers and three kids under the age of 11, Berry made the decision to keep going.
“I got to the point in my life where I realized, I was depressed. Due to stress, I had bad acne, hyperpigmentation, stretch marks (my war wounds from giving birth), and I just didn’t feel beautiful,” said Berry. “I put all my energy into other people’s companies, which left me having to be ‘ON’ all the time. I’m human, I was tired.”
She went on to say, “I never thought I would ever be a single mom, but overcoming divorce personally taught me to not let fear be my chauffeur.”
Nevertheless, she persisted. With over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience, Berry was used to making life work for her. Earlier in her journey, Berry took a number of calculated risks that came with her experiencing homelessness and great rewards like working with Mathew Knowles and Destiny’s Child; David Beckham; Don Cheadle; and major brands such as Coca-Cola, Cartoon Network, NASCAR, and General Mills.
“I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, the hustle, and drive. I strongly feel and will tell everyone, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. I’m a firm believer in having multiple streams of income,” said Berry.
Formulating Success
For Berry, one of those streams of revenue has always come from the beauty industry. Now, she’s making her mark on the industry with Glam Body.
(Image: Glam Body)
While searching for skincare products to treat her stress breakouts and beauty aids to make her stretch marks less prominent, Berry began to devote her time and energy to creating a solution for herself.
After learning about coffee’s abilities to clear acne, smooth skin, remove blackheads, cure hyperpigmentation, treat cellulite, and soothe eczema; Berry began mixing and testing out recipes for nearly eight months. And in 2017, Glam Body was born.
“Prior to Glam Body, I had a few other online companies that did very well for me. Glam Body wasn’t necessarily about putting my dreams first, I created the company because my son was on steroids for eczema and I wasn’t comfortable with him being in contact with those chemicals. I heard about coffee scrubs and used a few from other companies. When I tried them, I didn’t really like them and said, ‘I can create this myself.’ When the product worked on my son, being the businesswoman that I am, I decided to sell it.” said Berry
Showing Up in Business
Successfully launching Glam Body was a testament to Berry giving things her all.
“When it came to my business, divorce taught me to be my authentic self. I used to hide behind my business, no one knew I owned Glam Body—and I launched the company in 2017. It took me three years to reveal myself as the owner because although I was instilling confidence in my every day clients as a publicist behind the scenes,” she added.
She went on to say, “The crazy thing is that I didn’t have that confidence within my own self. I had to practice what I preached. Now, I believe in myself like never before. And, realized that I can do anything the I put my mind to.”
“Janell Stephens, CEO of Camille Rose is a very good friend and she has given me awesome advice regarding Glam Body. Janell has been extremely inspiring, attentive, and very forthcoming regarding the moves that I make. Mahisha Dellinger, CEO of Curls, who is also a good friend has been super supportive. She has her Black Girls Making Millions Academy, where she helps women at all stages of their business empower, educate, and elevate the next generation of entrepreneurs. Mahisha was actually ready to introduce me to retail, but I wanted to pull Glam Body together first prior to taking that huge step,” said Berry.
She continued to say, “It feels good to have these beauty vets who run multimillion-dollar companies believe in you and share the business lessons they have learned. As black women, we all need to stick together and Janell and Mahisha are both giving back and helping those like myself, who are also trying to achieve entrepreneurial success.”
Faith, affirmations, and envisioning herself where she wants to be has helped Berry build her confidence. And she hopes to encourage other women to be fearless in their pursuits.
To other women looking to start a business of their own with confidence, Berry said, “Manifest your dreams by setting clear goals and intentions. The first step in manifesting something is to get crystal clear on exactly what it is that you want. Do this by setting concrete goals and intentions in and around the business you want to create. Find that inner strength and appreciate life and realize that you have control over your future. You can achieve success on your own terms.”
Kanye West is Officially Hip Hop’s Newest Billionaire
Move over Jay-Z, you have company in the Hip Hop billionaire’s room! Jay-Z‘s little “brother” Kanye West can now shout to the rooftops at the top of his lungs that he is officially a billionaire according to Forbes!
Somewhere Sean Combs and Dr. Dre must be shaking their heads in amazement! The controversial rapper has been steadily rising in his quest to be on top of the Hip Hop stack and apparently, he has inched closer to the man he used to call his big brother, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. Jay-Z was officially declared Hip Hop’s first billionaire, although it seemed before that acknowledgement that Diddy or even Andre “Dr. Dre” Young would have reached that feat first.
Forbes’ writer, Zack O’Malley Greenburg has stated that Kanye has been obsessed with the magazine acknowledging that he is a billionaire, upset that he didn’t make the most recent list earlier this month. As what has been common when Kanye isn’t heard, he reacted with hurt and venom. “You know what you’re doing,” he texted. “You’re toying with me and I’m not finna lye [sic] down and take it anymore in Jesus name.” Even going as far as texting that Forbes was “purposely a part of a group of media” that was trying to suppress his self-made narrative because of his race. The fact that his sister-in-law Kylie Jenner made the list kept his anger at the magazine clearer.
Kanye continued to provide Forbes with the ‘receipts’ that prove his worth is over a billion dollars. “Finally, and perhaps most critically to West, it does confirm, based on our estimates, that his stake in Yeezy indeed makes him a billionaire. A bit over $1 billion, actually.”
So, after some more number crunching and reviewing of said “receipts”, Forbes has determined that the net worth estimate for Kanye West is $1.3 billion, which, coincidentally surpasses his younger sister-in-law, Jenner by $300 million.
And with typical Kanye banter, he texted Forbes the other night and said, “It’s not a billion. It’s $3.3 billion since no one at Forbes knows how to count.”
