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May 11, 2020
Dear Operator,
I hope you made it through the week feeling positive as progress on reopening is on the horizon and we gain more clarity each day on next steps. Many of you have asked for more information on protocol regarding employee and customer exposure to COVID-19. We are in touch daily with the DC Department of Health and are awaiting and expecting industry-specific guidance that they are developing this weekend to provide operators with critical information as we enter reopening in the future. We are hoping to send the step-by-step guidance no later than close of business...
May 8, 2020
Dear Operator,
I hope you made it through the week feeling positive as progress on reopening is on the horizon and we gain more clarity each day on next steps. Many of you have asked for more information on protocol regarding employee and customer exposure to COVID-19. We are in touch daily with the DC Department of Health and are awaiting and expecting industry-specific guidance that they are developing this weekend to provide operators with critical information as we enter reopening in the future. We are hoping to send the step-by-step guidance no later than close of...
May 7, 2020
Dear Operator,
We want to touch base and share some quick updates and clarifications with you based on regional news and questions we have received from you.
Follow up on DC Emergency Legislation
As you know, the Council passed Emergency Legislation on Tuesday to provide additional protections for the small business community. The legislation has not yet been signed into law, however we expect it will be signed very soon. Once the law is signed it goes into effect with the expectation that third party delivery companies are complying with the mandated cap. Once it...
May 6, 2020
Dear Operator,
On May 5th, the DC Council passed emergency legislation that provides additional relief for our industry. We have been working closely with the Council to help ensure the continued support of the unique needs of our industry happen. Yesterday, I shared a breakdown of what we thought would be included in the bill, and below is a breakdown of what passed today.
What was passed is similar to what we previously shared with a big exception on Business Interruption Insurance. Unfortunately, the Council did not include extending Business Interruption Insurance to cover...
May 4, 2020
Dear Operator,
I hope you found a few moments of sunshine this weekend as we are entering yet another busy week, as Governor Northam is likely to address Virginia’s reopening plan as early as today. We are hard at work on DC’s Reopening plan, and hosted an industry specific call yesterday where we were joined by more than 100 DC operators. We hope to submit a draft plan to Mayor Bowser on May 11th that will be based on recommendations from you, our local industry, regional leaders, and health and safety experts.
Today, I am pleased to start the day off with...
May 4, 2020
First virtual RAMMYS Nominations Announcement celebrated resilient industry and awards finalists.
Washington, DC (May 4, 2020)—Industry professionals and their fans tuned in online this afternoon as Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) announced finalists for the 2020 RAMMY Awards, the winners of which will be announced later this year. The new format was created to provide a welcome moment of celebration and positivity for its irrepressibly strong and community-minded industry.
Any RAMW member who met all category requirements was eligible for...
May 4, 2020
We have heard from many of you who are seeking suppliers for PPE items such as masks and gloves, as well as cleaning supplies like disinfectant and hand sanitizer. In response, we collected information from local purveyors in our community to provide you with information and contacts to assist you in purchasing these items.
Acme Paper and Supply Co.:
Face Masks: Stocking face masks, both 3 ply FDA approved facemasks and FDA approved KN95 masks. They encourage restaurants within close proximity to consider splitting a case, if possible, to lower cost. RAMW can assist in this...
May 1, 2020
Dear Operator,
I hope you are all staying steady as we round the next corners of this rollercoaster.
As you continue to try to put your arms around PPP, our friends at CPA Eats are working through planning scenarios that may be helpful for all of you as you try to make insightful decisions. Matt Hetrick will be hosting daily Zoom meetings next week on how to best protect your business, whether or not you’ve secured a PPP Loan, as well as thoughts on how to spend the money more efficiently. These sessions will happen all of next week, beginning Monday, May 4....
May 1, 2020
Dear Restaurant Operators,
During this COVID-19 pandemic, we are diligently working to share helpful resources and opportunities that are available to you as you navigate through this crisis. RAMW was recently contacted by WHUR Radio about a special promotion they are offering to local restaurants. WHUR recognizes this is a time to give back to our small businesses and communities that we serve. As a result, they have created the "Open for Business" on-air promo that will highlight local restaurant businesses. The purpose of this program is to help elevate and...
April 30, 2020
As we all work to stop the spread of COVID-19, OpenTable has teamed up with participating grocery stores and markets to help limit the number of people who enter at a time and reduce crowds and wait times for shoppers. Just as people can make a restaurant reservation or join a waitlist, they will now be able to reserve shopping times or join a virtual line in the OpenTable app.
It works in two ways:
Reserved shopping times: Just like reserving a table at a restaurant, you can reserve a time to enter a store.
Online waitlists: If you haven’t pre-reserved,...
April 30, 2020
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...
April 29, 2020
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!
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Previous On-Demand Webinars Available:
April 29, 2020: Andrea spoke with Dan Simons, co-owner of Founding Farmers Restaurant Group, and...
April 29, 2020
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...
April 29, 2020
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...
April 29, 2020
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...
April 28, 2020
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...
April 28, 2020
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...
April 27, 2020
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...
April 27, 2020
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...
April 27, 2020
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...
April 27, 2020
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...
April 24, 2020
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...
April 24, 2020
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...
April 23, 2020
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...
April 23, 2020
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...
