Environmentalist groups have found another area to apply pressure on recently. Citing the threat of climate change, there has been a recent push to ban the use of gas stoves. Activist groups are also advocating against the installation of new gas lines across the country.
Massachusetts, however, has gone one step further and approved a pilot program where ten communities can ban gas stoves. Advocates of the pilot, such as Jeff Cohen, a city councilor in Salem, are not satisfied. He asks why all 435 communities in Massachusetts aren’t allowed to join the program.
Meanwhile, restaurant owners across the state and country are worried about how these movements are going to affect their livelihoods. It is a tricky situation that requires a sensitive and tactful approach.
On the one hand, environmental groups believe that the birthing pains of a better future are worth it. On the other hand, restaurant owners find themselves frustrated that they have to be held responsible.
In this article, let us explore how restaurant owners are likely to react and what they can do to prepare.
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How Lobbying Firms May Prove Helpful for Restaurant Owners
For the time being, the status quo remains the same for restaurants. However, that doesn’t mean owners can be complacent. They need to think about the future and plan for the possibility that the movement might gather more steam.
Thankfully, cities like Boston are home to some of the top lobbying firms in Massachusetts. Restaurant owners might soon be paying lobbying firms a lot of money to push back against potential gas bans.
There’s a good reason for this. Boston lobbying firms are known to be some of the best, particularly in policy analysis and strategy development. Lobby firms can help owners build coalitions with other businesses and industry associations who also share similar concerns.
According to Corry Associates, lobbying firms can help build up grassroots support for your cause. They can help out in negotiating with climate change activist groups to find potential compromises, if possible.
If push comes to shove, they can also go on the offensive. They can help educate people about how drastic changes (even if only applied to new buildings) will severely affect restaurants.
The Need to Adapt and Find Alternatives
Some might say that restaurant owners preparing for a gas stove ban is a premature and irrational move. However, owners could say the same thing about those who advocate banning a highly efficient fuel source. Natural gas is cheap, and switching to induction or other electric alternatives will affect customers as well as owners.
At the same time, restaurant owners should also remember that change can be positive. Sure, giving up gas stoves can feel scary when the alternatives don’t seem as practical for commercial use. Let’s explore what such change is likely to involve.
Kitchen Layouts And Remodelling
Switching to electric stoves will obviously require sufficient electric outlets. Depending on how old the building is, the number of outlets and the state of wiring may be severely lacking.
As such, restaurant owners may have to invest in remodeling their kitchens to upgrade circuits and power capacity.
This can prove tricky if the building is being leased out. Most building owners are not going to let their buildings get remodeled without extensive planning.
Menu Innovation
If electric stoves become an eventuality, menus will need to adapt as well. Similarly, the manner in which food is prepared will likely change to keep prices down. Restaurants may need to adjust recipes and retrain staff to work with electric stoves.
Restaurants may favor preparing meals in batches or try other methods to reduce the frequency of cooking. Customers might notice a change in food texture and presentation. Thus, owners will have to communicate why their meals don’t feel the same as before.
Equipment and Inventory Upgrades
Giving up on gas and switching over to electric stoves will naturally come at a significant financial cost. Owners are likely to be outraged at needing to front the costs of purchasing and installing electric stoves and utensils.
This is another area that lobby firms in Massachusetts can help. They can advocate for the government to subsidize the cost of equipment and electricity that exceed gas stove equivalents. According to Stratis Morfogen, a New York-based restaurant owner, switching to electric stoves may be six times more expensive.
Conclusion
Climate change activists tend to feel strongly about issues they believe are affecting the world. While environmentalism is always a noble path to take, activists need to be careful.
The recent ‘Just Stop Oil’ protests have shown us how easy it is to turn the public against your cause. Regardless of your position on climate change, it is a bad idea to disrupt an industry without careful precautions. In an age where job security is a major issue, ensuring safeguards that protect entrepreneurs should be a major priority.