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Everyone is talking about the who, what, where, when, and how of reopening. This is a positive shift as it means we are headed back to some semblance of normalcy, albeit with restrictions we must all abide by in order to do business in this region.  As we approach the end of April, and seven weeks since you all had to drastically change your operations, we want to give you some insight on the regional approach, process, and next steps.  As you know, the region’s leaders in DC, VA, and MD are coordinating efforts to ensure they are all moving forward on the same page.  We...
OpenTable’s In it Together with Chief Operating Officer Andrea Johnston is a weekly webinar series where she discusses the state of the industry with leaders in hospitality. It’s a place to create community and seek advice during these uncertain times. Email us at inittogether@opentable.com if you have questions or discussion topics that you’d like to see in future webinars. Register here for future webinars in the series! - - - Previous On-Demand Webinars Available: April 29, 2020: Andrea spoke with Dan Simons, co-owner of Founding Farmers Restaurant Group, and...
Original content c/o: National Restaurant Association Learn to recognize coworkers suffering during the pandemic to help restore health and well-being. The coronavirus is taking a toll on more than the nation’s financial health. It’s also affecting the way people maintain good mental health as they deal with increased feelings of anger, depression and anxiety. A recent webinar put the spotlight on the invisible impact the coronavirus has on those struggling to get through it. Celebrity chef and TV personality Andrew Zimmern is one of the industry leaders offering support to...
We have put together the following insights in hopes it will help our Independent Restaurant customers think about and develop new ways to adapt to our new era. It will be important to remember that things are not the same going forward so hopefully, these insights will help.   Section #1‐ Business 101  It’s not too late, if you have not done so, do it today!   Financial Request your PPP/SBA loans or seek other funding options.  Talking another $350B added!  Leases ‐ Ask your landlord for rent deferral/renegotiations and review equipment...
Original conten c/o: National Restaurant Association Put any extra time you have now to work so you’re set to reopen smoothly. It looks like it’s going to happen — slowly, in fits and starts. Governors and mayors around the country are starting to talk about reopening restaurants for dine-in service, when it can be done, and what it would look like. Restaurants are getting ready to reopen, and things are going to look a bit different. For example, your server may be wearing a face mask when he or she serves you. For sure, life won’t quickly go back to the way it...
Original content c/o: National Restaurant Association New survey indicates that pent-up demand for restaurants is elevated, even as many consumers maintain their off-premises frequency. Takeout and delivery are the only restaurant options available for the vast majority of consumers across the country. Based on weekly surveys conducted by the National Restaurant Association beginning in late-February, the proportion of consumers using these off-premises options remained remarkably consistent throughout the coronavirus crisis. Fully six in 10 adults say they ordered takeout or delivery from...
  A Clean You Can Count On. Ecolab is dedicated to providing the most relevant resources and expertise to help you keep your staff and guests safe during the unprecedented times today and the new horizon ahead.  To support you and your team, we continue to update our comprehensive Ecolab COVID-19 resource libraries, created to support achievement of the highest standards of cleanliness, disinfection and hygiene.   NEW Reopening Resources: When you are ready to plan the next stage, we have expertise to help you prepare your restaurants, enable staff, and...
Dear Restaurant Community, Sponsors, Partners, and Friends,  We thought we would start this Monday morning off with some good and celebratory news to take everyones’ minds off of all the serious topics top of mind lately. You may remember that we were slated to announce the 2020 RAMMY Awards finalists on March 30th, at our annual and grand celebration at The Hamilton Live.  As with all events during this unprecedented time, we had to re-envision the format and platform for this announcement.  While we could have kept postponing, we thought it would be a welcome moment...
The Ferdinand Metz / American Culinary Federation (ACF) Relief Fund is established to provide timely financial assistance to chefs, cooks, culinarians and foodservice workers across America, experiencing hardship in the wake of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. Criteria for Eligibility Applicant must be employed by a foodservice establishment in any segment: restaurant, country club, hospital, etc. Under financial hardship due to being laid off, furloughed or hours reduced. Must provide evidence of lost wages. Affiliation with ACF or ACFEF is not required as a condition...
Original content c/o: National Restaurant Association The LEE Initiative’s initial act of giving back to laid-off restaurant workers has expanded from one location in Louisville to 19 across the country. Here’s how they did it. Chef Lee's staff members handed out meals and other necessary items as part of the relief effort. The activism, started at a 50-seat boutique restaurant in Louisville, Ky., has sparked a nationwide food relief effort that today is providing 28,000 meals each week to laid-off foodservice workers in 19 cities. The program was launched literally...
WHAT: Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) is excited to bring The 38th Annual RAMMY Awards Nominations Announcement online on Monday, May 4. During these unprecedented times, RAMW commends its members for their resilience, innovation, and community support. The announcement of the RAMMYS finalists will again celebrate the industry and highlight the finalists in 22 awards categories. All are invited to tune in via the provided link and help honor this year’s incredible RAMMYS finalists as well as the Honorary Milestone and Duke Zeibert Award...
The House of Representatives voted 4/24 to approve a $484 billion package to deliver aid to small businesses and hospitals and expand COVID-19 testing. An additional $310 billion was authorized for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), while $60 billion will be set aside for smaller lending facilities. There will also be an additional $10 billion for EIDL grants and $50 billion for disaster recovery loans. For those who have not secured funding loans, please reach out to your lenders immediately to be considered for funding. As we have been stating all along, PPP in its current...
Original content c/o: National Restaurant Association From commodities to cleaning supplies, restaurants add grocery staples to the menu. Here are a few recommendations. With coronavirus battering the restaurant business, operators are turning to groceries to help increase sales. They need it: National Restaurant Association research conducted this month reports that 97% of restaurant operators say their total dollar sales volume was lower than it was during the same period in 2019 and those sales, on average, were down 78%. Consumers sometimes have to wait a week or more for...
While Mayor Bowser and Governors Hogan and Northam sent a letter to the Trump administration encouraging the continuation of telework for federal employees, we are also beginning to see regional leaders taking into consideration key indicators needed as we approach a phased-in reopening. Today, Mayor Bowser addressed this and we expect Governors Hogan and Northam to share similar information tomorrow.  RAMW is finalizing our industry reopening recommendations, based on your feedback, to provide these leaders with industry input and small business impact. DC Updates In a press...
Today, we're excited to announce a new marketing initiative designed to help diners more easily support DMV restaurants working tirelessly to keep kitchens #openfordelivery and takeout. With local public health safety restrictions expected to last through mid-May, we've partnered with Justin Schuble – Founder + Creative Director of the Metropolitan Washington region's most-followed foodie account @dcfoodporn – to enhance the DMV Takeout & Delivery Guide user experience! As Co-Founder of top-rated (and #MadeInDC) app TidBit Social, Justin has made it...
Washington, D.C. (April 23, 2020) — Washington Nationals Philanthropies and the Greater Washington Community Foundation today announced a new partnership with Get Shift Done to launch the Get Shift Done DMV initiative which will coordinate, schedule, and pay adversely affected hourly workers in the hospitality industry to work shifts for local food access providers. Get Shift Done DMV, with founding investments from The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, Capital One, the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, and the Bainum Family Foundation and managed by...
The restaurant industry is being hit hard by COVID-19 with millions of hospitality workers out of work. OpenTable is committed to supporting the restaurant community and they recognize the road to recovery will be long and difficult. That’s why they’re excited to announce two new initiatives to help restaurants successfully reopen their businesses. First, an enhanced restaurant management platform OpenTable’s software has always enabled restaurants to connect with diners to manage reservations, prepare for shifts, and maximize table availability. During the...
Dear Operator,  We received many questions from you in search of guidance on the Payroll Protection Program (PPP). Our partner, Matt Hetrick of CPA Eats provided some guidance to help answer some of your most pressing questions. However, before we get into that shared guidance, we want to start by addressing the elephant in the room, which is that we are fully aware that PPP in its current form DOES NOT work for our industry. We are fully aware that it has to be fixed and that additional funding does not resolve nor address all the deficiencies of this program. States from all across...
WEBINAR - UTILIZING INSURANCE TO MITIGATE LOSSES AND LIABILITIES RESULTING FROM THE CORONAVIRUS Lowenstein Sandler’s Insurance Recovery Group represents exclusively policyholders in seeking coverage from their insurers. They have received numerous inquiries regarding coverage for losses stemming from business interruption following COVID-19. They are offering a webinar on May 6 on that topic. The loss of life and economic costs from the COVID-19 pandemic have been staggering. Over the past few weeks, the entire business landscape has changed in fundamental ways. COVID-19 has forced...
Dear Operator,  Congress has reached a deal for what we have been referring to as Phase 3.5 of federal relief. The Senate passed a bill on Tuesday that provides a $484 billion relief package that includes $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), $60 billion will be set aside for smaller lending facilities, including "community financial institutions, small insured depository institutions and credit unions with assets less than $10 billion." There will also be $10 billion for grants under the Emergency Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, $50 billion for...
Dear Operator,  Over the weekend, we launched an aggressive campaign to advocate for Congress to provide relief that works for our industry as they enter into discussions of what Phase IV of federal relief and aid will look like. This campaign is built on your feedback and puts forth a unified message of what our industry needs to recover from this pandemic. We have created a platform to amplify your voice and our issues, and now we need you to ACT TODAY.  If you have not participated in the campaign already, click here to send a letter to Congress. This important advocacy will...
Dear Operator, I hope you took a little time over the weekend to breathe in Spring.  We are all grateful for you as you continue to work hard, lead your teams, and bring needed joy and sustenance to those ordering your delicious meals and goods for takeout and delivery. As you might imagine, we are being pulled into countless conversations with leaders around the country about what the reopening of restaurants, retail and business in general may look like.  There are a lot of conversations with other states as they coordinate in state clusters with state governors as to what a...
With so much COVID-19 related information available, it can be hard to find specific guidance as it relates to insurance for the hospitality and retail business. USI has put together a webinar, COVID-19: Impact on the Hospitality and Retail Industry, to address this.  It provides critical and timely insight including actions that can be taken today to minimize the impact of the pandemic on an organization and their employees. This 30-minute on-demand webinar covers important information including: Issues created by COVID-19 that could affect the hospitality, retail or related...
Dear Operator,  This weekend we launced our Congressional industry-wide campaign focused on ensuring that Phase IV of the relief package addresses the real needs of our industry, and we NEED YOU TO TAKE ACTION TODAY.  While Congress is still working on increasing funding for PPP (what we have referred to as Phase 3.5), it is important that they start hearing from our local industry about the major fixes and overall mechanisms for relief that need to be made. We are including increasing funding for PPP into our campaign, even though it will likely be addressed in the Phase 3.5...
Dear Operators,    We have some important updates to share with you as new Orders were issued today in DC and MD impacting restaurant operators.     DC -  Earlier today, Mayor Bowser issued an Order requiring restaurant workers to wear gloves and cloth or surgical masks while at work.  All gloves and masks shall be procured by the business. This will go into effect on April 17th at 12:01am. This gives operators a short window to procure supplies if they need to, and we expect enforcement will be reasonable, understanding all operators currently open for...

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