By Todd Graves
In light of the most recent updates regarding COVID-19, several cities and states have issued a stay-at-home mandate, and more will continue to do so in the days ahead. So what does that mean for restaurants?
Shout it from the rooftops: Restaurants Are Open!
During local stay-at-home mandates, many citizens don’t realize that they can leave their house for essential needs from essential businesses. But, what exactly is an “essential” business? Technically, it’s up to cities and states to decide, but there are some businesses that all locales have deemed essential. Some of these include restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies, banks and veterinary clinics.
Yes, restaurants have been deemed essential businesses by the executive office of the United States, so they can remain open for curbside pick-up, delivery (in-house and third party) and drive-thru.
While every restaurant should be doubling down on health and safety, and held to a high standard when it comes to practicing proper social distancing, they are also providing a critical service during this challenging time. Restaurants like Raising Cane’s, where our drive-thru business remains brisk, are feeding citizens from coast-to-coast throughout this unprecedented crisis.
Grocery stores are already struggling to keep up with demand and average citizens are not in a financial position to buy excessive groceries, or to stockpile their freezers and pantries for a drawn-out lockdown. Many Americans also don’t have the time to prepare three meals a day. In addition, more than half of all food spending is made at restaurants. That means restaurants are more essential than ever.
Prior to COVID-19, the restaurant industry had 15.6 million employees serving customers from more than one million restaurants across the country. The National Restaurant Association predicts five to seven million of those jobs could be lost over the next three months. We are all doing everything we can to keep our workers employed, so we’re counting on our communities to partner with us in the days and weeks ahead. I’m proud that Raising Cane’s has retained all of our amazing crew to date, and as long as we can keep our drive-thrus busy, we’ll continue to do so for the duration.
Support your local restaurants
Restaurants are adapting, so it’s time for us to adapt too. Embrace the change and help support your local eateries. Tell your family, friends and neighbors … restauraunts are open
Graves is founder, owner & co-CEO of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers.
