Jeff Wang (Modern Asian Kitchen | Yum Dum Truck) on COVID-19's impact on restaurants

When people think of the culture of a country or a city, food is one of the first things that comes to mind. But, with the economic disruption caused by COVID-19, a lot of folks - myself included - have serious concerns about the ability of restaurants to make it through to the other side of an extended shutdown. As a fan of regional ethnic cuisine, I'm concerned that a big chunk of my "to try" list is going to be wiped out - and for the implications on the families that run these restaurants. I think there's a lot of parallels between the fitness industry and the restaurant industry, and I've spoked with Jeff multiple times about these similarities. So, I wanted to get Jeff's take on how COVID-19 is impacting both his food truck business and his brick and mortar restaurant business. Check out more from Jeff, Yum Dum Truck and Modern Asian Kitchen here: Website: www.makrestaurant.com | www.yumdumtruck.com Instagram: @yumdumtruck If you're enjoying the show, the best way to support it is by sharing with your friends. If you don't have any friends, why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list. Show Notes: [01:11] What is the difference in business model between the food truck and the brick and mortar restaurant? [05:42] What has the impact of COVID-19 been on both businesses? [11:14] How can restaurants – with already thin margins – survive in an environment with reduced dining room capacity? [18:56] How does Jeff react to negative reviews? And what are some of the more ridiculous things people have said on Yelp? is any negative feedback from review sites actionable? [23:59] Are apps like Grubhub and DoorDash a net positive or a net negative for the restaurant industry? [32:49] How do the fees for delivery apps actually work? What do the agreements look like between restaurants and delivery apps? [38:12] Why hasn't there been a white label online ordering option that competes with delivery platforms? [49:15] What did Jeff's upbringing in a restaurant family look like? And, how robust are small ethnic restaurants to the disruption presented by COVID-19? [55:45] How to follow – and order from – Jeff's restaurants Links and Resources Mentioned "SF Michelin star restaurants put their unique spin on takeout during shelter in place" from SFGate Fat Rice "Fat Rice, Chicago's acclaimed fusion restaurant, has closed" from Eater Chicago "Aggregation Theory" from Stratechery by Ben Thompson Shopify Toast Cashdrop Sweetgreen Alinea "Nick Kokonas on Resurrecting Restaurants, Skin in the Game, and Investing" from Tim Ferriss