Wolfgang Puck Talks About Paying His Staff During the Coronavirus Pandemic

LOS ANGELES — Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck says he has 5,000 employees worldwide who are either furloughed or getting paid through the Paycheck Protection Program, and his company, which set up each restaurant as its own business entity, hopes to reopen all of its restaurants by the end of June. His company is paying for health insurance through the end of June. He says he did return one $500,000 loan for his restaurants inside airports because he felt he had enough money in the bank to continue paying those employees. In Las Vegas, Cucina by Wolfgang Puck offers takeout at the Shops at Crystals, while Wolfgang Puck Players Locker opened for dine-in service. Employees at Cut by Wolfgang Puck at the Palazzo are being paid by Las Vegas Sands Corp. as a partner restaurant. He also says that with his role as a member of the president’s economic council, he hopes to be a voice for the 50 million restaurant workers nationwide. “It’s very difficult to get something done,” he tells the Los Angeles Times. “So we can speak for everybody and become more politically involved and really push harder for things that should be done for our industry.” He hopes the restaurant industry can get help with business interruption insurance and a stimulus program to save the restaurant industry. [LAT]

HENDERSON and SOUTHWEST — Big B’s Texas BBQ worries about finding enough meat at reasonable prices. The restaurant from Brian Beuchner and Natalia Badzjo says the price of brisket, for example, went from $3 a pound, up to $7 a pound. Meat-processing plants nationwide have seen a dramatic rise in the number of employees testing positive for COVID-19, causing meat prices to escalate. News 3 LV says the the supply of beef, chicken, and pork may be down through July 4. [News 3 LV]

LAS VEGAS — Three Square Food Bank canceled its Las Vegas Restaurant Week, scheduled for June 8-19, and plans on returning in 2021. [EaterWire]

• All AM Intel [ELV]

• How Coronavirus Is Affecting Las Vegas Food and Restaurants [ELV]