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business/technology Saturday 28 March 2020
Restaurants, trying to stay afloat, revamp menus, operations

By DAN SEWELL chain of 36 restaurants in
Associated Press 12 states going. More than
CINCINNATI (AP) — In the 4,000 employees were laid
battle to keep their New off last week.
York City restaurant going Some fine-dining restau-
despite sharp restrictions rants unused to carryout
during the coronavirus out- are trying scaled-down
break, the owners of Il Pos- menu at bargain prices.
to Accanto tried something In Chicago, patrons can
Beatrice Tosti di Valminuta now carry out food for a
would have considered fraction of the typical dine-
sacrilege in normal times. in tab at Alinea, where
That was offering their tradi- nabbing a seat typically
tional Italian dishes for de- requires reservations weeks
livery "which never, never, in advance and dinners
never, ever, ever, ever hap- can cost as much as $395
pened before," she said. "I per head. Alinea now of-
like my food to go from the fers takeout meals of beef
kitchen to the table, and wellington, mashed pota-
that's it!" toes and creme brulee for
On Friday, she said she and $39.95, and reports strong
husband Julio Pena decid- sales so far.
ed to suspend operations Meanwhile, in Los Angeles,
for now because employ- Mayor Eric Garcetti said
ees were wary of being out Monday that with Califor-
in New York City as it has nians under a stay-home
become the U.S. epicenter In this photo made on March 20, 2020, Frisch's Big Boy restaurant employee Nicole Cox bags up edict, restaurants are al-
an order of toilet paper, among in-demand items including milk and bread the double-decker
of the contagion. burger chain is now offering during the coronavirus outbreak in Cincinnati, Ohio. lowed to deliver alcohol-
"We respect their feelings," Associated Press ic beverages along with
she said. "It's not like we meals to boost their rev-
were making money." Frisch's Big Boy restaurants, home delivery. household needs. Lindey's enues and well, because
Across the United States, a Cincinnati-based chain Frisch's saw a quick jump in in Columbus, Ohio, throws booze.
restaurateurs are transform- that laid off more than a revenues at a time when in a free roll with all takeout Sitting in the nearly empty
ing operations to try to stay third of its 5,000 employees people have been frustrat- orders. Frontier in Chicago Frisch's "Mainliner" restau-
afloat. The National Res- in the first days of bans on ed by long lines and short- gave out decks of cards rant where the chain origi-
taurant Association warns in-restaurant dining, last ages at traditional super- to homebound customers nated in suburban Cincin-
the outbreak could cost 5 week pivoted into the gro- markets. Toilet paper is in with their carryout dinners. nati in 1942, CEO Jason
million to 7 million jobs and cery business. Besides its high demand, and Frisch's With the number of states Vaughn said customers at
hundreds of billions in losses signature Big Boy double- and others are using it as a with stay-at-home orders the privately held chain's
and is pushing for a special decker burgers and onion lure. growing, some restau- 100 restaurants have asked
federal relief package for rings, customers at its 100 Westmont Diner in West- rateurs decided to shut for additions, such as bot-
restaurants. restaurants in Ohio, Indi- mont, New Jersey, has down. Cameron Mitchell, tles of orange juice, quarts
In an industry of traditional- ana and Kentucky can buy added it to carry-out op- based in Columbus, said of soup and coffee for
ly tight profit margins, some bread, milk and and pro- tions at 60 cents a roll, carryout offerings weren't home. Frisch's is trying to le-
decided it's time to take duce at its drive-thrus and along with paper towels, bringing in enough busi- verage its supply chain to
chances. carryout counters and via soap, bleach and other ness to keep his namesake accommodate requests.q

Internet firm restricts virus-themed website registrations

By FRANK BAJAK Health Organization vac- that prevent the automat-
AP Technology Writer cine kits in exchange for a ed registration of names
BOSTON (AP) — An inter- $4.95 "shipping charge." including those terms. He
net firm is ending the auto- There is currently no vac- said company employees
mated registration of web- cine for the coronavirus could manually register le-
site names that include that causes COVID-19. Ex- gitimate domains.
words or phrases related perts say it will take 12 to Cybersecurity firms have
to the COVID-19 pandem- 18 months to develop one. reported a big jump in
ic, an attempt to combat The DOJ said the site, coro- coronavirus-related in-
coronavirus-related fraud. noavirusmedicalkit.com, ternet domains in recent
Los Angeles-based Na- was harvesting credit card weeks, and say many are
mecheap Inc. made the information. the work of cybercriminals
pledge after a federal The site registered that do- In this Nov. 28, 2018, file photo, the Department of Justice sowing malware, scam-
judge in Texas ordered the main with Namecheap. Its seal is seen in Washington, D.C. An internet firm is ending the ming the public with false
takedown of a website the unknown owners were list- automated registration of website names that include words or cures and harvesting pay-
phrases related to the COVID-19 pandemic, in an attempt to
U.S. Department of Justice ed as "John Doe" in court combat coronavirus-related fraud. ment card and other per-
accused of stealing credit papers and could not be Associated Press sonal information. One cy-
card information while of- reached for comment. A bersecurity firm reported
fering fake coronavirus Panama phone number ard Kirkendall said in an as "coronavirus," "COVID" discovering a malicious
vaccine kits. The website listed on its registry was dis- email to customers Thurs- and "vaccine" from the data-stealing program
allegedly offered what connected. day that the company company's domain avail- masquerading as a virus
it claimed were World Namecheap CEO Rich- was banning terms such ability search tool, a move information map. q