Trump's group of restaurant industry advisors is primarily comprised of chains' CEOs, along with a smattering of restaurateurs with fine dining empires and industry group leaders.

The restaurant industry successfully lobbied for a loophole that allows chains to apply for small-business loans, with Shake Shack, Ruth's Chris, and Potbelly receiving a combined $40 million in PPP loans.

The lack of independent restaurant representation is especially disturbing in light of the fact that experts say smaller, independent restaurants will have the hardest time surviving the coronavirus pandemic.

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President Trump — a noted fast-food fan — is creating an economic recovery plan that puts the country's chains front and center.

This week, Trump announced the formation of the "Great American Economic Revival Industry Group" for the restaurant industry. The group is one of a number of industry representatives organized to advise the White House on reopening the US during the coronavirus pandemic.

The council is made up of men who founded or lead organizations including:

1 regional chain (Ray Washburne, CEO of M Crowd Restaurant, who was the vice-chair for the Trump Victory Committee and has donated thousands of dollars to Trump and the Republican party)

(Ray Washburne, CEO of M Crowd Restaurant, who was the vice-chair for the Trump Victory Committee and has donated thousands of dollars to Trump and the Republican party) 5 fast-food chains (McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell and KFC parent company Yum Brands, Wendy's, Arby's and Sonic's parent company Inspire Brands)

(McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell and KFC parent company Yum Brands, Wendy's, Arby's and Sonic's parent company Inspire Brands) 7 other chains (CEOs from Olive Garden parent company Darden, Subway, Outback Steakhouse parent company Bloomin' Brands, Papa John's, Waffle House, and Starbucks, plus Jimmy John's founder)

(CEOs from Olive Garden parent company Darden, Subway, Outback Steakhouse parent company Bloomin' Brands, Papa John's, Waffle House, and Starbucks, plus Jimmy John's founder) 3 beverage and packaged food giants (Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Kraft)

(Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Kraft) 3 industry groups (National Restaurant Association, National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, International Franchise Association)

(National Restaurant Association, National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, International Franchise Association) 4 fine-dining empires (Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Daniel Boulud)

"The fast-food industry and the fine-dining world are two sides of the same golden coin," Max Falkowitz wrote in a scathing op-ed in New York Magazine's Grub Street.

"One exudes wealth through luxurious trappings for the elite, built on the backs of minimum-wage laborers deemed unworthy to be seen or heard," Falkowitz continued. "The other creates wealth through populist marketing for a slightly broader spectrum of elite stockholders, built on the backs of minimum-wage laborers deemed unworthy of the profits they produce."

Eater highlighted the fact that the council is lacking people of color, women, and small business owners, while over-representing chains.

While many franchisees at major chains are small businesses, none of these franchisees were represented as individuals in the organization. And, as seen by McDonald's recent tensions between franchisor and franchisees, the priorities of the two groups are not always aligned.

Chains have received at least $40 million in small business loans

Shake Shack got a $10 million small business loan. John Locher/AP

As chains advise Trump on the recovery plan, some major brands are also receiving small business loans.

While the Paycheck Protection Program is aimed at small businesses with fewer than 500 employees, hotel and restaurant chains successfully lobbied for an exception that allows any chain with fewer than 500 workers per location to apply for a loan.

Some of the mega-brands that have received PPP loans include:

The $350 billion PPP program ran out of funds this week, leaving many small businesses worried about finding funding. On Thursday morning, the Small Business Association said it had processed over 1.6 million loan applications totaling $339 billion.

In 2020, chains are big enough to have the lobbying power to reach the White House and small enough to get millions in small business loans.

Small, independent restaurants might be wiped out by the coronavirus — and the emphasis on chains isn't helping

In early April, UBS said that up to one in five restaurants in the US could close due to the coronavirus pandemic. The industry is expected to lose at least $225 billion over the next three months, according to the National Restaurant Association.

According to experts, independent restaurants are in a far more dangerous position than chains as closures sweep the US.

"There is going to be obviously closures that never come back. I continually say my heart goes out to these independents," Raising Cane's CEO Todd Graves told Business Insider on Thursday. "These are restaurants that have soul, they have character, their crew members are incredible. ... And some of them aren't going to be able to reemerge."

Because these smaller restaurants will struggle the most, the lack of independent owners advising the White House on economic recovery is stark.

The lack of individuals or groups representing the industry's workers also ignores a major piece of the puzzle in the restaurant industry's recovery. With many already out of work and the National Restaurant Association predicting the loss of 5 to 7 million jobs in the coming months, figuring out how to best support workers is crucial to revitalizing the economy.

"It's disgusting that we aren't even recognized financially by the state, let alone the federal government," a Taco Bell employee recently told Business Insider. "We aren't asking for $15 per hour or anything permanent. We just want to be financially sound during this time of being considered 'essential.'"