Nearly two dozen restaurant and beverage executives were named Tuesday to a food-and-beverage-focused panel among 17 of President Donald Trump’s Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups.
As the nation’s businesses work toward reopening after the widespread lockdown that began in mid-March to stem the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus, the White House named the groups to advise policy makers on the economic recovery.
COVID-19-related closures led more than 16.8 million people, or about 10% of the U.S. workforce, to file unemployment claims in the three weeks ended April 4, and the breadth of the restrictions have yet to be measured fully in the economy.
Marvin Irby, interim president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association, was named to the food and beverage industry group along with 22 other executives.
“Restaurants have been deeply and disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis as state and local governments have taken action to enact social distancing policies,” Irby said in a statement Wednesday.
“Economic forecasts reveal the industry will sustain at least a $225 billion loss and be forced to eliminate between 5 [million] to 7 million jobs over the next three months. Despite this extreme economic hardship, restaurants continue to step up in every neighborhood across the country to feed and unite their communities.”
In addition to the food and beverage group, the White House named members of industry panels for agriculture, banking, construction/labor/workforce/, defense, energy, financial services, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, real estate, retail, technology, telecommunications, transportation, sports and “thought leaders/groups.”
In addition to Irby, the White House said the food and beverage industry group also included:
- Chris Kempczinski, McDonald’s CEO and president
- Gene Lee, Darden Restaurants CEO and president
- James Quincey, Coca-Cola CEO and chairman
- Ramon Laguarta, PepsiCo CEO and chairman
- Dan Cathy, Chick-fil-A CEO
- John Chidsey, Subway CEO
- David Deno, Bloomin’ Brands CEO
- David Gibbs, Yum! Brands CEO
- Rob Lynch, Papa Johns International CEO and president
- Todd Penegor, Wendy’s CEO and president
- Walt Ehmer, Waffle House CEO and president
- Kevin Johnson, Starbucks CEO and president
- Wolfgang Puck, chef and restaurateur
- Paul Brown, Inspire Brands CEO
- Thomas Keller, owner of the Thomas Keller Group
- Jean-Georges Vongerichten, chef and restaurateur
- Daniel Boulud, chef and restaurateur
- Ray Washburne, co-founder of the Dallas-based M Crowd Restaurant group
- Jimmy John Liautaud, founder of Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches
- Michael Mullen, senior vice president of corporate and government affairs at the KraftHeinz Co.
- Dirk Van Dongen, National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors CEO and president
- Robert Cresanti, International Franchise Association CEO and president
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