Gruel, CEO and founder of American Gravy Restaurant Group, operates several restaurants in California, Calico Fish House and Big Parm Pizza.
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Chef Andrew Gruel loves the “natural beauty” of California and will continue to run his existing locations but said any new locations or businesses will open elsewhere.
Crime in California has skyrocketed in recent years, with a 9. 13% increase in violent crime between 2018 and 2022, according to the state Department of Justice. But many restaurants and small businesses are hit harder by “nonviolent” crime.
Proposition 47, passed by California voters in 2014, made previous “non-violent” property crimes, such as theft of advertising, ownership of stolen assets, and grand theft, misdemeanors. As a result, California finds itself mired in a scenario in which crime is increasing, violent criminals are being released early, and videos of looters brazenly leaving retail outlets with merchandise have gone viral on social media.
“The rise in crime in California affects both consumers and business owners,” Gruel said.
“From a business owner’s perspective, we now want to prepare for the inevitable crime that’s about to occur, whether it’s theft, break-ins, or even scammers, right? So it’s not as covered as theft and. . . grabbing stuff is in the headlines, but it’s the scammers, it’s all these little scams, they’re all looking to scam you because for less than $900, they won’t arrest you,” Gruel continued.
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Crime in California has skyrocketed in recent years, with a 9. 13% increase in violent crime between 2018 and 2022, according to the state Department of Justice (Fox News).
As for customers, Gruel said many California citizens are hesitant to pass out at night and should bring money when they do.
“Well, that’s a challenge because we need our consumers to tip, because it’s a lot less difficult for bartenders to get money that night when they tip, and money is still king,” he said.
While waiters suffer from receiving cash tips, restaurant owners also face credit card processing fees.
“Hey, out of $2 million in sales a year, you know, 4% equals $80,000, right? So that’s a lot,” Gruel said. It’s not just about pennies. So these are some of the tactics that affect the end of the day… monetary results. ”
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Gruel, along with his wife and business partner Lauren, who is also a chef, have considered leaving California altogether because of crimes, taxes, and other regulations. He said commodities are often more expensive in California because of taxes, and layers of bureaucracy in the Golden State add additional costs for business owners. So far, they’ve resisted the temptation to relocate and are hopeful the state can resolve its issues.
“California itself is,” Gruel said.
“I don’t think California has gotten so far that it’s simply a lost cause. I’m firmly convinced that probably five to seven percent of Californians just want to vote sensibly and that we’ll really be able to regain some power. “And there is also regional power,” he continued. But a lot of things are happening at the state point where this supermajority is being consolidated, which can make it very difficult, in the future, to replace some of those horribly useless policies. “
In the meantime, Gruel will do everything he can to raise awareness about the issues affecting small business owners across the state.
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“I’m here, I’m fighting, I’m fighting enemy lines,” Gruel said.
Fox News’ Emma Colton and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Brian Flood is a media editor/reporter for FOX News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @briansflood.