Restaurant Good News Roundup: Late May 2020
After a long, warm Memorial Day weekend, the world seems a little more open. Restaurants around the United States and beyond have begun to slowly return to some sense of normalcy, with many opening for the first time in months to inhouse traffic. In many of those places, the CDC has recommended strict safety protocols, to curb the continued spread of the virus, while allowing owners and operators to restart their businesses. So far, restaurant chains have already witnessed some increases in their sales, which is an optimistic sign of better days to come. We all deserve a little sunshine in our lives and our Restaurant Good News Roundup: Late May 2020, collects all the best of the best going on in the world today.
Back To Work
With restaurants opening up, many restaurants are bringing back their employees, old or new. Restaurants have traditionally provided seasonal employment to those in need, and while the total amount of jobs for seekers is down, reopenings are good news to the economy. In fact, Taco Bell recently announced that they are hiring around 30K workers this summer alone, which is a virtue to prospective employees looking to get back to work. While these reopenings are a little different everywhere, the CDC recommends having a CV-19 point person on staff at all times to handle the overall compliance issues. That means more staff to potentially hire, which is a net positive for the economy and public health initiatives.
Fun & Innovative Social Distancing
It’s hard to even imagine large gatherings at the moment given the circumstances, but between the hot weather and months of cabin fever, folks are ready to get out and mingle. Of course, that may not be the safest thing for now, which has led to some weird solutions to guests seeking a crowd. While there have been a few surreal moments like using mannequins to give the illusion of more patrons, or installing shower curtains to prevent physical contact. At Mediamatic ETEN, a vegan restaurant in Amsterdam, patrons are able to dine together in private greenhouse spaces that allow them to mingle without actually coming into contact. In Ocean City, one entrepreneur has installed bumper tables, which serve as a physical barrier between guests looking for drinks on the patio.
Bill Murray vs. Guy Fieri Charity Nacho Bake-Off
There is a mystique surrounding Bill Murray that immediately makes anything you hear about him seem possible, whether that’s showing up at your house party to sing with your band, or taking over a shift at the local bar to help out a friend. So when Murray announced he was going to participate in a charity challenge with Guy Fieri, that made sense too. They two celebrities competed to decide who could make the best nachos, with the proceeds from the event going to help restaurant employee relief efforts. While Murray put forth a great effort, Fieri ultimately took home the gold medal, with the real winner the RERF.
Green Packaging
Staying safe at home has had a cumulatively positive impact on global emissions, a silver lining during the pandemic. One unfortunate side effect to the rise in off-premise dining is the amount of waste generated by the packaging needed to get food safely to customers socially distancing. While plastic bags have served as a stop gap solution for delivery, many places around the world are investing in eco-friendly bags for delivering food, in an effort to mitigate waste. Dunkin’ Donuts recently announced that they are 100% polystyrene free in their restaurants, replacing the material with environmentally sound paper.
Million Dollar Idea
Have a plan to help the restaurant industry get back on its feet? The Lee Prize is there to incentivize novel solutions. Desperation does and has always bred innovation and while things seem to be slowly improving across the board. Whether it’s an off-premise aggregator to streamline your operations or utilizing existing tech as a training solution, there are plenty of opportunities out there to strive for bigger and better. Right now, there are people out there working on making the future better, so if you have an idea, now is your chance.
Conclusion
Everyday things get a little better and certainly more interesting. While no one knows what tomorrow holds, we know we’re all in it together. If our Restaurant Goods News Roundup: Late May 2020 is any indication, the restaurant and hospitality industries are already on the right path to safely reopening in exciting new ways, building on the past for something truly unique. Have any good news yourself? Sign off in the comments! We’d love to hear your story.
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