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> McDonald's UK boss, Paul Pomroy, said: "Over the last 24 hours, it has become clear that maintaining safe social distancing whilst operating busy takeaway and
by aazaa 7y ago
> McDonald's UK boss, Paul Pomroy, said: "Over the last 24 hours, it has become clear that maintaining safe social distancing whilst operating busy takeaway and Drive Thru restaurants is increasingly difficult and therefore we have taken the decision to close every restaurant in the UK and Ireland by 7pm on Monday 23 March.
A lot of Americans are relying on this method of food distribution. It seems inevitable that closures of drive-thrus will begin happening in the US as well. Food shortages at grocery stores are not uncommon today in many cities. It only takes one positive test to shut down a food distribution center.
I doubt many have considered just how precarious food delivery is at the moment.
- nathanaldensr 7y agoWhat's amazing to consider is that the United States produces so much food we have to throw much of it away... and yet, there may be no way to purchase it! Insanity.
- Zhyl 7y agoWe need innovation and quick thinking. Proper pivoting. One example is UK Restaurant Chain Leon pivoting to retail [1]. Another is restaurants becoming or setting up satellite Ghost Kitchens [2], perhaps moving to cheaper or more evenly spread locations in the mean time. For HN, we now have a whole new set of problems. We are no longer supporting, enabling or competing with existing institutions and structures - we're building systems that will save them and in the process define new ways of getting food to plate and co-ordinating the people and payments involved. We have food. We have people. We have new constraints. Solve for X :o) [1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51996773 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51996773 [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_kitchen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_kitchen
- davidwihl 7y agoI’m deeply worried about the US food supply in 4-6 weeks time, not because of availability but because of a lack of healthy people to process, transport and distribute the food. Given the sorry state of migrant farm workers in the US [0], it won’t take much for infections to spread. [0] http://www.ncfh.org/uploads/3/8/6/8/38685499/fs-migrant_demographics.pdf http://www.ncfh.org/uploads/3/8/6/8/38685499/fs-migrant_demo...
- maxerickson 7y agoAs ever, it's the vegetable supply that is in question. Calories come from grains and potatoes and such that are heavily mechanized.