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Who’s the Best Democratic Candidate for the Restaurant Business?
Restaurateurs weigh in
As Super Tuesday approaches, there have been endless (and contradicting) predictions on the electability of the remaining Democratic candidates for president. Heated’s Andrea Strong spoke to a variety of folks working in the restaurant industry to get a sense of which candidates speak to them and what issues they believe are at stake for the restaurant business.
Reem Assil — chef and owner of Reem’s in Northern California — is a former community and labor organizer and child of Syrian and Palestinian immigrants by way of Lebanon.
Which Democratic candidate speaks to you?
I’m rooting for Bernie, but will rally behind either him or Warren, should they win the Democratic ticket. I’m inspired by how Bernie has been able to galvanize people across the country — from rank-and-file workers to immigrants to young people. It is more about the civic engagement that comes from this election that inspires me. And I hope to see these folks hold whoever we elect accountable. It builds leadership within all our sectors and that’s good for everyone.
Are there specific restaurant industry issues that you are thinking about in this election?
Bernie’s talking about systems change, which is going to need to happen in the restaurant industry in order to be sustainable. As someone who operates within a system built on exploitation and inequity, I’m often frustrated by people who keep talking about “changing” while protecting the status quo. The status quo doesn’t allow people in restaurants to thrive.
Medicare for All is going to be incredibly important. I think that’ll impact how we take care of our workers in the long run. It would be life-changing for the largest employers in this country to take care of their workers and their families and not make it such a burden for…
