BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD)– Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser expressed concern during a virtual interview on Tuesday that many restaurants will not be able to stay afloat through this pandemic.
“I am concerned a lot of people are not going to make it through these tough times,” Nungesser said.
Nungesser said restaurant closings could have a detrimental impact on the Louisiana Travel Industry that heavily depends on unique Cajun cuisine.
“Restaurants all over the state, people come here for that special food,” Nungesser said.
Nungesser says locally owned restaurants are getting hit the hardest.
“Everyone is struggling right now, you know, it’s a hard time for everyone but we are still alive and fighting,” Manager of Mason’s Grill, James McKay said.
Sunday brunch is giving many local restaurants the boost they need to make it through the week.
“Sunday brunch is quite busy, before the pandemic we were usually dealing with over 200 guests, just on Sunday mornings, that’s obviously cut in half,” Mansur’s Manager Ryan Fitzgerald said.
Since the beginning of the pandemic the Lt. Governor has encouraged the people of Louisiana to “staycation,” and support local businesses.
“It’s so important for Louisianians to get out and support the industry by staycation,” Nungesser said.
