Skechers Launches COVID Relief Fund for Manhattan Beach Restaurants
Dec 04, 2020 10:21AM ● By Jeanne Fratello
Skechers has pledged to contribute up to $500,000 to the fund.
The fund came about as Manhattan Beach restaurants struggle to survive a second mandated pandemic closure. With the suspension of indoor dining until at least late December, several restaurants have shut down and many fear for their survival.
Skechers is asking for donations to the special Skechers Restaurant COVID Relief Fund to assist in helping the restaurants keep their staff employed, and helping to pay the rent and operations for the most severely impacted restaurants in Downtown Manhattan Beach and the North End.
Skechers President MIchael Greenberg called in to the Manhattan Beach City Council meeting on Tuesday night to express support for expanding outdoor public seating areas and for helping restaurants during this difficult time.
"We all know that business owners don't call us up and say, 'I'm about to go out of business,.' They don't tell us when they're going to go out of business. What really happens is you see paper in the windows and you see them boarding up," said Greenberg.
"Timing is of the essence, and big decisions need to be made because we don't want our downtown to be boarded up," continued Greenberg. "I know of businesses and restaurants that will close in our town... I ask everybody to work diligently and look for the opportunity to keep our businesses afloat."
And from a larger perspective, Greenberg added, keeping the restaurants alive is part of saving all of the local businesses.
"It
isn't just the restaurants," he said. "If the
restaurants are not in business
and people are not patronizing them, this is less reason to come downtown and patronize the other businesses."
In addition to contributing to financial efforts to support local restaurants, business leaders are urging residents to continue ordering from restaurants for takeout and/or direct delivery.
