The hospitality industry is rotting from its core.

Bars and restaurants are anything but equitable by design. Ripe with stories of harassment, sub-minimum wages, and in the face of a global pandemic – an essential workforce frequently without access to healthcare - the last few years have led to a discernable chorus for change. For the moment, policymakers and restaurant-goers seem to be paying some attention to the issues at hand, but what if we can't rebuild on a broken foundation?

Have you ever paid to go to work? I have.

In 2012, I was a server at Kilroy's in Bloomington, Indiana, while going to school. At the time, Kilroy's and Kilroy's Sports Bar frequently made a list for the top 100 grossing clubs/bars in the country. On the busiest day of the year, an enormous party of students deep into their celebration of Little 500 ran out on their tab. According to my manager, that meant I had to cover the bill. I sobbed in a bathroom stall, wiped down some vomit I noticed on the sinks, and returned to work knowing I would be lucky to break even that shift.

In my next role, I acted as the entire front-of-house team (we were extremely slow) for a Tibetan restaurant that the Dalai Llama's nephew owned. My only table for the day discovered a cockroach in their food, and truly horrified, I comped their meal. Management told me they should have paid. It's the only job I have ever quit with a no-call, no-show.

Over nearly two decades, I have had an endless stream of anecdotes of labor exploitation and harassment, hopping in and out of serving, hosting, and managing roles in the bar and restaurant industry. I don't know someone who has worked in hospitality that has not felt the white-hot flash of anxiety when a customer makes an inappropriate comment. Only to have to pause and wonder how your reaction could affect your tip or the customer's perception of your restaurant's level of service.

In a recent Instagram live, Ashtin Berry, industry activist, educator, and sommelier made a point that deeply resonated with these experiences. "You can be deeply passionate about this industry and incredibly apathetic and traumatized by the choices you have and will make for the sake of paying your bills."

There is a crisis in the hospitality industry, and it began long before the pandemic. Ever bustling as it is underappreciated, the sector employs over 14 million Americans (nearly 10% of the U.S. workforce) at a point in time just before COVID. The basic concept of bars and restaurants has endured through war, industrialization, globalization, migration, political turmoil, and more with minimal structural change.

Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC) determined that women in hospitality account for 14 percent of sexual harassment claims in the nation's workforce – more than double that of any other industry. The same report disclosed that restaurant workers are twice as likely to be in poverty than other employed folks, which is easy to believe when the median wage is $11.65 an hour.

Human resource departments, consultants, higher wages, better hours may all present as seemingly obvious choices to throw at the industry for systemic change. Still, once you see a restaurant profit & loss statement – you'll be back at square one, and quickly.

"Their businesses are not sustainable without exploitation. They are not sustainable without the acceptance and internalizing of colonial ideas." Ashtin Berry

A successful restaurant may have a profit margin of 7 – 10%. The average? 3 – 5%.  Any aspiring restauranteur learns a 30/30/30 split early in developing a business plan—30% cost of goods, 30% labor, 30% other overhead & expenses. If you are lucky, and I mean LUCKY, you can hit that split in a few years.  That leaves very little room for any change to the existing compensation and resource structure without, quite literally, having to turn out the lights.

Thankfully never shy to address the hospitality industry's colonial roots, Berry recently contextualized these margins. "Their businesses are not sustainable without exploitation. They are not sustainable without the acceptance and internalizing of colonial ideas."

Any one of these issues could leave the most committed activists, scholars, and well-intended entrepreneurs feeling helpless and defeated. How can we possibly expect the average consumer to apply pressure for change or at the very least be armed with this information to make informed decisions about where they eat? Are bars and restaurants just essentially bad, exploitative businesses? As someone who has made a career, and frankly a personality, out of loving and exploring restaurants, it pains me to say – yes.

Pardon the doom and gloom, but it reflects the pervasiveness of these problems. While it may seem daunting, there are several imperfect solutions to advocate for and resources available to make better choices within our current context.

The Diner

For those just trying to enjoy a meal out, the single most impactful thing you can do is get your wallet ready. As you may have guessed and will continue to understand – restaurants need to increase their margins to make these changes possible. Ultimately, your meal is going to cost more. There's no way around it.

And while we await the opportunity to support owners increasing their prices to pay a full living wage – tip very well, especially during the ongoing pandemic. Yes, that's the same for your bartender when they are "just pouring a beer," the host when "all they did was hand me my takeout order," the barista for your latte, and your server when dining in.

If you are committed to taking your advocacy a step further, some resources guide you to restaurants claiming to be doing the actual work. Check out this directory to find a spot near you committed to taking the High Road to profitability.

The Industry

 Managers need to prioritize policies and training to protect staff from harassment at work. These can be low-lift procedures such as a green light, red light approach to managing customers. If a server flags a customer's table as yellow, a shift lead or manager can step in to continue service – distancing the server from an uncomfortable or inappropriate situation. For a red table, a manager can conclude the service for that guest or group and ask them to leave. Precise boundaries need to be discussed in advance to empower staff; informing them stepping away will not affect their pay or position.

The Media

 Food media has been subject to a worthy critique in recent years. A historically white lens and grossly under-resourced departments have long flittered away at the chance of diverse food journalism. Incredibly talented journalists are fighting back against the trend, making a change in newsrooms across the country.

I believe there is a tremendous opportunity to apply the strategies and resources of investigative journalism to food media. Imagine a world where a three-star review accounts for wages, equity, and staff wellness in addition to "innovative cuisine" and "five-star service." With this shift in media strategy, we can change what types of restaurants we highlight above the fold. 

The Government

The best chance to move the needle in this industry will not come without policy change at the state and federal levels. Ask your representatives in Congress to support legislation that will protect the workplace.

Over 80 members of the House recently re-introduced the BE HEARD in the Workplace Act (Bringing an End to Harassment by Enhancing Accountability and Rejecting Discrimination). Not only does this piece of legislation move to provide employees with the time and resources to report harassment, but it calls for the end of the tipped minimum wage – which we know unequivocally fosters environments for discrimination and sexual harassment.

Better yet, jump on the #onefairwage bandwagon to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 and end subminimum wages for tipped employees. One Fair Wage has a quick form on their website to send letters to your Senator voicing support for the Raise the Wage Act.

Bars and restaurants in their current framework will not survive. Without wages, the workforce will not return. Without insight from the media, consumers will continue to evaluate meals on the surface. Without state and federal policy, systemic change will not come. The restaurant industry isn't working, and it is past time for diners, owners, and policymakers to amplify the efforts of activists fighting for change.