Helping Our Local Restaurants in Their Time of Need
This week, many American restaurants have been forced to shut down or move to carry-out only in the hopes of slowing the spread of COVID-19. The economic impact that restaurants and the foodservice industries could sustain are estimated to reach $225 billion in losses with 5-7 million jobs lost*. (*Source National Restaurant Association)
The restaurant and foodservice industries have served all of us as a meeting place for friends and family after a stress filled week. They have provided a place to recharge and regroup. A place to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and countless other special occasions. Restaurant owners and staff have provided many of us with the lasting memories of those events uninterrupted, until now.
What can we do now to help support our local restaurants?
Order Carry-Out Tonight
Whether it’s pick-up or delivery, support your favorite local restaurants by placing a carryout order. This will help to keep kitchen and support staff working while you extend your family’s home food supplies. Many delivery services are now offering curbside service or free delivery. Give them a try! Just be sure to tip your delivery person well, as many depend on tips as regular income.
Buy Restaurant Gift Cards Online
Buying restaurant gift cards now will help your local eatery’s pay bills, staff and suppliers during this downturn. Some have said to consider this a “micro loan” that will help owners with expenses now in return for meals served at a later date.
Buy Restaurant Merchandise Online
If your local restaurants sell merchandise online, now is the perfect time to order that t-shirt, sweatshirt, beanie or baseball cap you’ve wanted. Those proceeds will help to cover fixed operating costs that don’t go away when the doors are temporarily closed for business.
Contribute to a Relief Fund or a Virtual Tip Jar
Many restaurants are asking for donations to help pay staff and keep the supplies coming. Some donations and go fund me accounts are going directly to employees in need. Give what you can. A small contribution can make a big difference for someone in great need.
Now, more than ever we need to help make sure that our favorite restaurants and their staff make it through the unprecedented challenge that COVID-19 has created for all of us.
At Plascon, we are doing everything we can to support our food production, processing, and packaging industry customers. Our films, bags, and liners are deemed "essential" products critical to continued infrastructure viability. We are still open for business and ready to support our customers in any way we can. Contact us and we will work with you to supply the packaging needs to keep your business operational as well. Practice six feet social distancing. Check on your friends and neighbors (keeping 6' apart, of course!). And remember, we are all in this together.
