Coronavirus & Restaurants: Operating in a Crisis

As you are establishing your new normal, consider the following from this throwback post.

Layoffs & Reductions in Pay

Prepare yourself to make tough financial and personal decisions. For many clients, that has meant temporary layoffs and pay reductions. Conduct these conversations by phone one-on-one, if possible.

Sample Letters for Download:
Sample Layoff Notice [MS Word]
Sample Wage Reduction Notice [MS Word]

Add a COVID-19 Line to Financials

Consider adding an expense line item called COVID-19 and code all related expenses in there including your staff and personal time spent dealing with a crisis. This may make it easier to apply for government assistance if and when it comes available.

When an Employee falls ill

First, if you’re continuing to operate, be sure to read these blog posts:

#1 Tools and Tips
#2 Surviving the Crisis
Saving Your Restaurant through Takeout and Delivery

Regularly instruct your employees to communicate with you if any of the following conditions exist. This better prepares you to take appropriate steps to protect other employees and your customers.

  • Employee has become exposed.
  • Employee has been diagnosed.
  • Employee has signs/symptoms.
  • Employee has traveled to a high risk area.

Sample Customer Communication for an Ill Employee

It is likely someone supporting your operations will contract the Coronavirus. This sample text message (which I received after dining out last Friday at a fine dining restaurant in Dallas, TX) is a reasonable starting point for communicating with customers:

“As a customer who dined with us from February 28-March 13, we wanted to advise you that a member of our employee family was sent home from the restaurant Friday, March 13 because the employee was not feeling well. Subsequently, the employee tested positive for the Coronavirus. Because the CDC indicates individuals typically display symptoms of the virus within 2-14 days of exposure, we are contacting you directly. We are sharing this information so you can make the best decisions for your health and the health of those around you going forward, as our number one focus right now is the safety and well-being of our staff and customers. For more information about the Coronavirus, please visit the Centers for Disease Control website at http://cdc.gov.”

Creative To-Go Menu Offers

Operating in our new normal will last months, not weeks. Find the opportunity within the crisis. Adjust and innovate daily. There has never been a better time to experiment with takeaway, pickup and delivery. Here are some unique offers we have seen in the past 24 hours:

Consult to Grow® provides various tools and services to help you improve your operational performance as you scale and grow your business.  We can expertly assess your scalability, develop tactical plans, facilitate planning, and more. Ready to get started? 

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