Best Tools and Tips For US Restaurant Owners to Overcome the COVID-19 Crisis

Restaurant owners, we are facing an unexpected crisis of epic proportions! Unlike a storm or hurricane, we don’t know when it will pass. With nationwide quarantine seemingly around the corner sooner than later, we assume that will help end all of this. Until everything is back to “normal” please see the list of tips we have concentrated for you below.

This Article will constantly update with more tips/information. We are all in this together, and we invite all of us in the community to share additional tips as we constantly update this important correspondence.

We call on you to:

1. Make decisions fast.
2. Take advantage of the federal, state and IRS special COVID-19 benefits — paid sick leaves to your employees, delaying tax payments, anything that can help you with cash flow. Please see more relief options in this article.
3. Keep spare funds readily available, until the end of Q3, at least — better safe than sorry
4. Prepare your restaurants to become Ghost Restaurants during this crisis — delivery won’t stop, it will increase, but in-store traffic will dramatically decrease. It’s a great opportunity for you to learn how to make your delivery margins/operations better for the days after this crisis.
5. Take advantage of this crisis — the world essentially comes to a halt, when has that ever happened? You can now implement and try things you always wanted to but never had the time to do so. Start making plans for now, and for the day after humanity will get back to normal (it doesn’t necessarily mean COVID-19 will disappear).
6. Take advantage of this crisis — tip #2 — Build a healthy delivery mechanism for your business, where your delivery sales grow, but you are PAYING 0% Commissions for it, you own your customer data and relationships with this better financial model as well.

Here are some great additional tools, and tips that can help you during this crisis:

Resources to Help Keep Guests and Staff Safe During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Health Crisis

• How to Manage Your Restaurant During the Coronavirus (COVID-19): Resources and information that can help you manage your restaurant during the coronavirus.
• How to Support Restaurant Workers During the COVID-19 Health Crisis: Here’s how restaurants are adapting their policies to take care of their teams.
• Cleaning to Keep Customers and Staff Safe: Learn how to keep your restaurant clean during a health crisis, with advice on keeping things safe and sanitary for all.
• How to Avoid Common Health Code Violations: Is your restaurant up to code? Learn how to train your team to avoid these common health code violations.
• Training Staff to Prevent Cross Contamination: Learn how to avoid cross contamination and keep your diners safe in different areas of your restaurant kitchen.

Industry Resources, News & Stories from the Ground

• CDC: Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers
• National Restaurant Association: Coronavirus Information and Resources
• Feeding America: Learn how your restaurant can donate perishable inventory to food banks
• Restaurant Hospitality: NRA sends restaurant industry recovery and relief proposal
• Bartender Emergency Assistance Program: Resource for bartenders seeking financial assistance
• Eater: What Restaurants Need Right Now to Actually Survive
• The Atlantic: How You Should Get Food During the Pandemic
• Restaurant Dive: How coronavirus is changing restaurant policies
• Eater: What to Say to Your Representatives to Advocate for a Restaurant Bailout
• Food & Wine: All the States That Have Closed Restaurants and Bars Due to Coronavirus
• The New York Times: Why Soap Works
• Harvard Medical Center: Coronavirus Resource Center
• Bon Appétit: Closures, Takeout, and Relief Efforts: How Food Businesses Nationwide Are Handling Coronavirus
• Food & Wine: As Coronavirus Shutters Restaurants Across the Country, a Swell of Support for Workers Rises Up
• OpenTable: How to run a restaurant in the face of uncertainty
• Bloomberg: Food Delivery Adapts During Pandemic
• 7shifts: COVID-19 Best Practices for Restaurants: Navigating Coronavirus for Staff & Managers
• Restaurant Dive: &pizza’s coronavirus response plan: Pay workers more, not less
• Eater: A List of Relief Funds for Coronavirus-Affected Restaurants, Bars, and Food Service Workers
• Restaurant Dive: Will COVID-19 usher in permanent restaurant paid sick leave benefits?
• Eater: Most Restaurants Are Relying on Unemployment Insurance to Protect Staff

1. OpenTable’s Data Center — a way to compare what’s happening with other restaurants’ traffic in your city/state.
2. Toast has made this checklist on how to Keep Customers and Staff Safe During COVID-19.
3. DoorDash CEO has sent this important message for you and your guests to be aware of:

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have no reports of human illnesses that suggest COVID-19 can be transmitted by food or food packaging, but we remain vigilant in working with restaurants to ensure efficacy and safety remain the top priority.”

4. Prepare your digital assets and let your customers know you are prepared.

a) Prepare a letter to your customers — here are a few examples.

b) Pop up message on your website mentioning this, and also forwarding to your letter.

c) Send emails to your customers mentioning this, and letting them know how they can order contactless deliveries/curbside pick up orders from your restaurant.

d) Cheer your customers up and consider giving them a COVID-19 coupon

If you have more tips you think we should add, please send it to covid-19@say2eat.com, or just drop a comment below.