Mayor Turner,

Houston bars and restaurants are in crisis.

For decades, Houston has been a culinary beacon in Texas and the US. We are home to those who are
currently heralded as the nation’s greats, a plethora of James Beard finalists, semi-finalists and much
respected JBF winners. We tout one of the best asian culinary epicenters in the US in Chinatown and Bellaire.
We are trend setters, innovators, mentors and boundary pushers. And we take care of Houston, no matter
what.

Houston is home to more than 10,000 restaurants, a significant portion of our local economy. Without us, it
grinds to a halt. Houstonians eat out more than any other city in the nation, including New York City, according
to a recent Zagat survey.

We give back to our community. Our elders, our Veterans, our neighbors, our children, and our employees. We
take care of our own, in the words of one of our fearless leaders.

When the world got sick, we got busy. We raised our already rigorous and thorough cleaning and sanitation
standards. We upended our operations to make them safer, and more comfortable in service of our guests. We
adapted new business models and service modalities. We banded together to support our community and our
country and the world in this humanitarian fight.

But now, Mayor Turner, it’s your turn. It’s time for your City Council, and our State Legislature to come together
and get busy for the restaurant and hospitality community. We feed Houstonians during hurricanes, water main
breaks, World Series, and so much more. We step up in a time of need and crisis, as we are doing now, and
we need our local government to do the same.

Mayor Turner, your city’s restaurants need ​immediate​ relief. It’s time for the City of Houston, and the Mayor’s
office to support Houston restaurants and bars.

Here are a few ways you can help us:

● Negotiating delayed or deferred sales tax payments on the state level

● Mandate for landlords to charge rent at cost, a 30 day relief, or renegotiate leases to scale back to
market rate in 90 days
● Offer paid sick leave for our employees
● Use emergency funds to allow restaurants to file ‘interruption of business’ claims to cover 30 days of
labor or rent costs; something insurance companies are denying during this crisis
● Allow restaurant owners, who cannot file for unemployment at this time, to file for economic assistance
due to furlough, closure, or loss of business greater than 50%

Our request is simple. Help us keep our restaurants open under these new rules during social distancing, and
as always, we will give back in spades when the world turns right again.

In service to Houston, and restaurants everywhere.

Signed,

Leonard Botello IV, TRUTH BBQ

Abbie Byrom, TRUTH BBQ
Big Botello, TRUTH BBQ
Corey Taylor, TRUTH BBQ
Ben Sassani, Kung Fu Tea
Donald Tran, Kung Fu Tea
Paul Petronella, Paulie’s Restaurant, Camerata Wine Bar, OKRA Charity Saloon
Rebecca Masson, Fluff Bake Bar
Chris Shepherd, Underbelly Hospitality
Nicholas Wong, UB Preserv
KTammi Egenriether, TRUTH BBQ
Steven O Sullivan, Cantina Barba
Manuel DeLeon, Cantina Barba
Petter Pettersen, Underbelly Hospitality
Marianela Mena, Underbelly Hospitality
Matt Tanner, Agricole Hospitality
Jean-Philippe Gaston, Cherry Block Craft Butcher
Bobby Matos, State of Grace, Superica, La Lucha
Erin Smith, Feges BBQ
Patrick Feges, Feges BBQ
Patsy Vivares, Sticky’s Chicken
Benson Vivares, Sticky’s Chicken
Ryan Lachaine, Riel Restaurant
Mechelle Tran, Riel Restaurant & Pho Saigon
David Buehrer, Greenway Coffee Co., Finn Hall, Blacksmith, Morningstar, OKRA
Justin Turner, Bernie’s Burger Bus
Karina Moscoso, Hall PR
Tomas Villarreal, Mingos Latin Kitchen
Andrew Frias, Lunchbox Hippies Food Truck
Andre Porche, KrazyKreole LLC Foodtruck
Jerry Jan, Diced Poke
Jason Giagrande, The Roastery
Guli Essa, It’s A Wrap Food Truck
Arash Kharat, Buffalo Bayou brewery
Robin Wong, Blood Bros. BBQ
Emily Ng, Happy Endings Asian Fusion
Ryan Javier, Happy Endings Asian Fusion
Kimberly Park, Kimberly Park Communications
Randy Hines, Kolache Shoppe
Lucy Hines, Kolache Shoppe
Stacey and Tonya Murphy Taste of Philly Sandwiches
Travis Lenig, Field&Tides
Gerald Warner & Victor Chataboon, OffBeat Eatz, Bowled Up, Mobile Cuisine Services
Brian Ching, Pitch 25
Tuan Tran Casian King, Bird Haus,
Thy Dang Moku Bar, Don Juan Tacos & Ceviche
Angie Dang, LES BA’GET
Cat Huynh, LES BA’GET
Aaron Hayes, Smok'd It Up BBq Food Truck
Al Deshon Churrascos Restaurants
Ronnie Killen, Killen’s Restaurant Group
Mark Tiu, Oh My Gogi Market Square
Roy Marquez, Alma Latina
Sheree Marquez, Alma Latina
Monica Pope, Sparrow Cookshop
Steven Salazar, Kirby Group
Aaron Lyons, Dish Society
Zack Truesdell, Clé group
Brandon Silva Kirby Group
Max Torres, Cake and Bacon
Vinh Nguyen, Nam Eatery
Richard Kaplan, weights+measures/brown paper chocolates
Katie Barnhart, Adair Concepts
Nick Adair, Adair Concepts
Gary Adair, Adair Concepts
Tim Smith, Kitchen w/o Walls, Sparrow Cookshop
George Serrano, The Cuban Spot LLC (food truck)
Nicole Meza, Brasil Cafe
Chara Gafford, urbanCHEF
Judith Piotrowski, One Fifth
Bryan Caswell, 3rd Bar, El Real IAH, Caswell Catering
Carla Gomez, Pop Ratio
Rochelle Tougas, FM Kitchen and Bar
Michael Serva, El