I reside in a rural small 1 traffic light town. I don't share many views but a lot of the values of the locals. I have become good friends with a similar age new owner of a after 8? years a very successful family owned pizza restaurant. I might be their best customer over the years. I spend a lot of time off hours chatting with the owner. He has over 25 employees, and they are for the most a younger group, but hard workers, and seem to be of good stock. The owner and I have nearly opposite views, but we also have similar values, listen to and respect each other, and socialize outside the restaurant. I also have been a business owner my entire life and understand the ups and downs of running your own business.

I decided since 3/1? I would limit my exposure to others as best I could during this COVID event. I have not been to his restaurant since, but talk on the phone. The restaurant has been steadily setting new sales records since opening, even as two weekends ago. I suspect in this small town, and the business they do, within 48 hrs everyone in town has only one degree of separation from someone who has eaten at the Pizza parlor. His client base has a heavy snow bird group to all the way to grade school baseball teams. He really is hands on and does a great job.

5? Days ago on the phone I asked him (suggestively) if he had considered going to take out/delivery only. He said had thought about it.

Yesterday around 4:30pm I again spoke to him and used all my best efforts to convince him to consider that he should be in front of this instead of waiting for the gov to direct, which yesterday Florida directed restaurants to limit to 50% capacity, which I commented means, they really just lack the political gonads to do the right thing. One point I shared was, he did not want to be Ms O Leary's cow in our small town, with effectively no real heath care within 30? miles.

Ironically, he is in the highest risk group of the entire staff.

I'm crossing my fingers today he will see light.



Reality check, that half the population is smarter then 50% of the people and it's a constantly contested fact.