Day Without Immigrants earns a lot of support from Monterey County restaurants.

For anyone who's worked in a decent restaurant, this won't come as much of a surprise: Staffers often feel like family.

It follow that when their family feels threatened, they're instinctually ready to help defend them.

That's the case at landmark Loulou’s Griddle in the Middle, which like its neighboring Sand Bar & Grill on Wharf Two and scores of other spots, is closed for the day in honor of the grassroots protest called Day Without an Immigrant.

The New York Times describes it as "a call to boycott."

"Around the country, many carpenters, plumbers, cooks, cleaners and grocery store owners decided to answer it and not work on Thursday," write Liz Robbins and Annie Correal, "as part of a national 'day without immigrants' in protest of the Trump administration’s policies toward them."

Loulou's co-owner Grace “Gigi” Davis calls it a natural outcome of what they do.

“It was important to us because of our staff, who we consider family, and have been with for 10 years," she says. "Their families are here, their children are here and they’re scared. They love this country and believe in this country and asked us to support them. Without getting too political, there are some things going on that aren’t right.”

Local restaurants shuttering for the day include eateries stretching from La Bicyclette in Carmel to Haute Enchilada Cafe in Moss Landing, and scores of places in between.

An unscientific survey along Del Monte Boulevard in North Monterey and Seaside, one of the area's best places for ethnic cuisine, often prepped and served by immigrant business owners and workers, reveals a protest push including:

Taqueria Zarape • Baldemiro's Taqueria • Gusto Gourmet Pizza & Pasta • Papa Chevo's • Angelina's Bakery • Santa Fe Market • Mi Tierra Mercado • Baskin-Robbins/Subway • Farmer Joe's Produce

In a related note, an email with a short Travel Mole report from Bicyclette owner Gaston Georis is circulating among restaurant owners.

Here it is:

Ok, the US travel industry is experiencing a sizable drop in bookings.

Carmel will see a drop in foreign travelers.

Our customers are reconsidering travel to Mexico. Was it worth it? 

Inbound US flight searches down since Trump travel ban

Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017

Travel demand to the US has significantly cooled since Donald Trump signed the controversial travel ban. Flight data analysts Hopper said commercial airline flight searches from other countries to the US is down 17%. While on the face of it, it is not a huge drop, any reduction shortly after an election is rare, said Patrick Surry, chief data strategist at Hopper.

"What is surprising to us is that you usually see an increase in flight searches after an event, even terrorist attacks, as people look to rebook flights but in this case, there is simply a drop."

Searches were down from 94 out of 122 countries.

Searches for China-US flights were down by one-third and from Australia by 25%. "It's hard to know exactly why flight searches to the US have fallen off, but I think the perception is the door is closing and the US is not as welcoming," Surry said. One county that has bucked the trend, unsurprisingly, is Russia. Searches from Russia are up a massive 88% since the election. "I can't speak to what's causing the interest in Russia, but that increase definitely jumped out at us since search demand is down in so many other countries," said Surry.

Hopper says it has analyzes 3.5 billion price and itinerary searches so far this year. The American Society of Travel Agents says the travel ban and the ensuing confusion is hitting members' business. "The way this was implemented and all of the confusion it created is having a clear impact beyond people coming in from these seven countries. It's having a chilling effect," said Eben Peck, senior vice president of government and industry affairs.

Source: Travel Mole