Oakland (Special to ZennieReport.com) – Horn Barbecue was once recently the celebrated Michelin Star restaurant that was the pride of West Oakland and catapulted its founder Matt Horn into celebrity status nationwide. The commercials featuring him were seen from California to Connecticut. All of the time, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao never once acknowledged or visited Horn Barbecue.
And now, Matt Horn’s dream of a place to make good food has been attacked by vandals and set on fire. Then, to add insult to injury, a dead chicken was left in front of the establishment, next to the tagged, windows smashed, delivery truck.
On top of that, Google itself is allowing media to post false, defamatory stories about Horn Barbecue. These so-called stories try to place Matt Horn in a bad light by leaving out key details.
Someone Is Treating Horn Barbecue Oakland In A Way That Is Criminal
Someone is treating Oakland’s Matt Horn in a way that’s criminal. It can’t be because the business was behind on payments because the majority of restaurants in America are not making bills or payroll. Restaurants are dealing with labor shortages while simultaneously facing skyrocketing costs across the board, from food and utilities to equipment and construction.
Take this account from Food Institute in “Rash of Restaurant Bankruptcies Festers”:
Tens of thousands of restaurants have closed since the start of the pandemic, and those that have remained open are grappling with economic pressures that threaten their viability as the latest wave of bankruptcy filings by fast-food operators indicate.
In late October, 172-unit Burger King franchisee Premier Kings declared bankruptcy after the death of its owner created operational instability; it was the was third Burger King franchisee this year to go belly-up, as reported by QSR Magazine.
Meanwhile, Starboard Group – the Coral Springs, Florida, company that operates 61 Wendy’s sites in Florida, Alabama, and elsewhere in the Southeast – became the latest operator to file for Chapter 11 protection, Restaurant Business recently reported. Starboard had 101 Wendy’s stores as recently as June 2020.
SBG CEO Andrew Levy blamed the filing on changing post-COVID consumer habits, as well as increasing costs.
Franchise expert Scott Greenberg told The Food Institute that rising labor costs are a significant problem for fast-food chains like Starboard, but costs are far from the only issue:
“These chains also grapple with increasing expenses for ingredients and supply chain disruptions. However, the key to sustainable success lies in more than just paying higher wages.”
Where’s The City of Oakland and Mayor Thao
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has been silent on this problem, as much as she touts the move of a famed San Francisco coffee maker to Oakland, she is silent on many subjects regarding restaurants in trouble. She let Le Chaval close as business owners rallied to bring attention to its crime-caused problems. And Sheng failed to point to any effort to save Oakland Restaurants. To her, the problem seems to be out of sight, out of mind.
Oakland and Horn Barbecue need the help.