Winter storm another challenge for Texas restaurants still enduring pandemic

COVID-19, winter storms challenge Texas restaurants

The past year has been filled with innovation and hard times for restaurants and their workers.

Texas restaurants are about to mark one year of survival in a pandemic while also getting over the deadly winter storm that brought more disruption.

The Texas Restaurant Association has a restaurant relief fund that supports many of the state's 1.5 million workers in the industry. But many favorites have either closed their doors in the past year or are facing continued challenges because of the pandemic.

Despite all that, restaurants are also giving back - like feeding first responders during the recent winter storm.

"They stepped up, I think that's the most compelling part of the story," said Emily Williams Knight, President/CEO, Texas Restaurant Association. "At the same time, when we lost probably 4 or 5 more days of revenue on top of 11 and a half months of this pandemic."

TRA officials said they were pleased that the proposed $15 per hour minimum wage was dropped from the Democrats’ economic stimulus bill. Saying it would have been disastrous for the industry.