As the Trump administration threatens mass deportations across the country, restaurant workers are on guard. Immigrants — documented or not — make up a big chunk of the restaurant industry. Here in Arizona, the Migration Policy Institute reports that adds up to around 23,000 undocumented immigrants.
Chefs and restaurant owners are handing out cards, posting notices in kitchens informing their workers of their rights and preparing for potential questions from ICE. Most have not wanted to talk to the press about their concerns.
But, Chris Bianco, a Phoenix-based chef and James Beard Award winner, says he doesn’t see anything controversial about speaking out. Bianco owns two pizzerias in Phoenix, plus Tratto and Pane Bianco here in the Valley, as well as a newer location in Los Angeles.
Bianco says he always follows the law and uses the E-Verify program to make sure the people he hires have legal status to work in the U.S. But, there are ripple effects from threats of mass deportations and immigration crackdowns — and a chilling effect that’s hurting an industry that’s already strapped for workers.
Full conversation
CHRIS BIANCO: Well, you know, I've been in business in this fine city for 34 years, and I like to look at life from perspectives. And my perspective is one that lives on the ground and one lives in the building, in the building where people work, and they, yeah, they come to eat. But I think there's, there's a lot more to it that hospitality provides. And the hospitality worker throughout generations, you know, has been, been built by, you know, you come here and you work hard, and maybe one day you know your grandson in a pizzeria in Phoenix and so on and so on. Or hopefully in a quicker time frame that you'll find happiness and health.
You know, from whatever situation that you left, I've been lucky enough to have people that work with me that become American citizens and seeing the joy that they and the pride and the knowledge that they have is probably greater than mine about our American history, sadly enough. And for me, I think there's a lot of misconception about what immigrants bring to the table. And you know, knowing that the hard work and good people that do the jobs that you know American kid don't want to do, and that's just, you know, the next, you know, a guy in the dish pit that wants to come, that's, you know, coming in from, you know, the suburbs for a summer job. It's just, it just doesn't happen. But what does happen is that we can verify, and people that are new to this country, or they might come to be, you know, relocated from a war zone, or from South America, from any part of the world.
LAUREN GILGER: So what you're saying, though, what you're saying this is an industry that's been built on immigrants?
BIANCO: Yeah, I mean, it is an industry that has not only been built by immigrants and held up by immigrants. And you know, it is, it is unequivocally, you know, living proof of the American dream. And they can happen, and they do happen, and they, these people pay taxes, and they and they work hard, and they, they're pillars in our society, you know. And I think, you know, unfortunately, there can be sound bites. There's bad apples in every, you know, basket. And of course, you know, bad apples need to be removed. But, you know, I think the fear is that there'll be a lot of good apples caught up digging for bad ones.
And you know, we're still reeling from the pandemic ... We're also in Los Angeles, and we're reeling from, you know, the fires and right strikes. And you know, the people that show up, hard working people, they're looking at the news, waiting for the next shoe to drop, whether it be a pandemic or a mass deportation or some type of issue that will affect a positive, you know, society.
GILGER: Right. So you've got a restaurant industry that is concerned about this, because so many immigrants work in the industry, so many people come from mixed status families, and you're saying you're coming off, you're still kind of coming off the heels of the pandemic. The restaurant industry is already strapped for workers, right?
BIANCO: I mean, there's, here's the thing, whatever you know, the leadership of our country. What I know is, I've been through Republican, Democrat, whatever, and I know that people just show up to work for me. You know, they come in all shades, in all colors, and they sometimes speak languages that we might not understand at the beginning, but by the end of the day, those relationships grow and they become positive forces in society. And I think those are the stabilities in my life, not so much outside forces, but the people that show up and do these jobs every day. And how can we make their lives better? How can they become contributing members of society in a world that is depleted of workers, you know, whether it's picking tomatoes or fruit or or the, you know, jobs that are seasonal.
You know, sometimes we don't understand the impact of our decisions. And I think we're flooded with sound bites and commercials and fear factors and horrible stories of incidents, and all of a sudden, you know, the world's turned upside down for these people. We just want to make people feel safe, the people that on both sides of the past, we say, like in the in the dining room, in the kitchen, you know, I've been a law abiding citizen, and I intend to be, we do everything that we can do to verify to, you know, be accountable to the laws put in place. But I think it still doesn't change the factor, if someone does come from a compromise, maybe someone in their family, or maybe their grandmother, their mother in law, whatever they might not say, Well, I can't risk going into a restaurant. Maybe that'll connect me to my family. Even if it's unreasonable, the culture that the fear is created has not been a positive one for business, period, for the community, period.
GILGER: So let me ask you about your willingness to talk about this, right? Like, it's political. Chefs around the country, I think, have been hesitant to talk about mass deportations, fear in the restaurant community. In the world there, they don't want ICE targeting their restaurant, right? Like, are you worried about sticking your neck out there?
BIANCO: I don't see anything sticking in my neck about anything. I mean, I like to be transparent. All I'm saying is, there's a community I think that's very unsettled, that feeds our community. And I think if we can work together, whether it's jurisdictions or ICE or government or authority or whatever, to find, you know, peaceful and passive ways to, hopefully, you know, restore more of a sense of peace, of calm. And you know, the reality is, there's no one stealing jobs. There's plenty of jobs if you need one, you come on down. Well, I'm sure we can find one for you.
Yeah. So I think that's the I think the hard part for business is we don't have people to fill jobs, and losing the largest aspect of our workforce, even just by changing industry, just by sometimes it's just, you know, it's by association, you know, just like for have maybe somebody wondering your status, or your wife's status, or your cousin, it's a difficult place to be in or put people in.
GILGER: So what can you tell folks like, what are you there? Is there advice? A lot of restaurant owners are giving out cards or putting up, you know, signs in the kitchens, things like that, to sort of inform people of the rights that they have in these situations?
BIANCO: Well, I think, you know, all our workers, regardless, are informed of their rights. And, you know, like I said, I obey laws. Even talking about this is, you know, I don't see anything divisive about it. I don't see anything judgmental about it. I just think that there's people that are really good, people that you know, might be in the crossfire of something that's unintended for them, you know, and maybe that just pushes them out of an industry that's already in dire need of a workforce.
GILGER: All right. Well, I appreciate you coming in, that is Chef Chris Bianco, chef and owner of Pizzeria Bianco, of course. Chris, thank you so much.
BIANCO: Thank you so much, sis.
