Opinion: why I refuse to order from chain restaurants during pandemic - Business Insider

Taste tests lost their importance, and I started doing the kind of reporting that means talking to people about their problems.In the past two weeks, I've spent hours talking to and listening to restaurant owners and industry experts. As a result, workers were overwhelmed with traffic but received no additional pay."My franchise is failing to pay us any more than we're already making, however, they're finding ways to increase sales volume," one Taco Bell employee told Business Insider.A Taco Bell representative told Business Insider that the chain is "very sensitive to our team members' feedback, and we want them to know that we hear their concerns.""It's very important to us that Taco Bell remains the safest place to work and eat," the representative said. This offer is available via drive-thru and carry-out only, so person-to-person contact remains limited."Of course, Taco Bell isn't the only fast-food chain that's faced worker backlash for its actions during the pandemic. Many of them expressed fear for their lives and fear of not being able to pay their bills, others said they wished that customers would stop coming.Still, much of working-class America depends on fast-food restaurants, and I can't judge people for doing what is right for their wallets and busy schedules. And that's a major reason — and not a wrong one — that diners will choose a $3 Wendy's burger over $9 Pad Thai from a local restaurant."People are used to eating inexpensive food," Pomeroy said.