Restaurants That Are Offering Support During COVID-19

The COVID-19 Pandemic has had incredible effects on people, businesses, and communities across the world. Many people no longer have the stability they had just a little over a year ago. People didn’t know where to turn-- so many companies, restaurants, and communities stepped up to the plate to provide support. We at DTiQ know how important it is to feel supported and safe, especially when times are hard, which is why we want to highlight restaurants that have fostered those ideas in their workplace and community during the pandemic.

Supporting Prospective Employees

Because of the pandemic, many restaurants had to lay off staff members due to budget concerns or for safety protocols. Now as restaurants are starting to open back up, many restaurants are faced with a staffing shortage. Companies have had to mobilize and come up with ways to get people hired, so they can continue to operate as normal.

• A McDonald’s franchise in Florida is paying applicants $50 for an interview, since they have had trouble keeping their drive-thrus going, they need more employees more now than ever.
• 2,000 Taco Bell locations across the U.S. will hold hiring parties where they conduct interviews in their parking lots so that applicants don’t even have to leave their car to apply and give away free food to applicants.
• As a way to entice prospective employees and support current workers, Starbucks partnered with Care.com to offer all employees a range of child and elder care benefits, such as subsidizing 10 backup care days a year.

Supporting Current Employees

For those that are still able to work in the pandemic, it is no easy feat. Especially for those in the food industry. People may have lost jobs, and the remaining staff members may have had to pick up more shifts and work longer hours. All while trying to protect themselves from being exposed. All of this is extremely stressful for employees and their families, and restaurants realized they needed to step up and support those who need it the most.

• &Pizza in Washington DC not only increased the hourly wage for their employees, but also offered them unlimited pizza, credit for rideshares for getting to and from work, and expanded their healthcare policy to cover all new staff members.
• Starbucks offered a wage increase of at least 10% and even offered catastrophe pay to their employees. Brown Bag Seafood Co in Chicago did something similar and paid employees 70% of all working hours they lost.
• Restaurants like Alden & Harlow and Waypoint in Cambridge, MA made all gift cards 20% off and donated the proceeds to the needs of their employees to cover expenses like medication, toiletries, and food.
• The famous burger chain, Whataburger, handed out “extra mile bonuses” to employees that totaled over 90 million dollars and doubled their 401k matching plan for 2020.

Supporting The Community

When the individual suffers, we all suffer. Restaurants were able to use what they had and give back to their surrounding areas. Many restaurants have a special connection to their community and know that they would not be the business they are today with their patronage, which is why they used their resources to support their community.

• KFC made three donations of one million pieces of chicken to Meals On Wheels to support senior citizens across the nation. In addition to donating the program itself, they also offered 11,000 gift cards to Meals On Wheels volunteers throughout the nation.
• Restaurants like Bayou Bakery in Arlington, VA, and Anoush’ella in Boston offered free meals for people who lost their jobs, school-aged students and their families, and military households.
• Gandy Dancer in Ann Arbor, Michigan is now selling groceries, meat, and seafood from its pantry.
• Mei Mei in Boston, MA offered groceries at-cost for industry workers and others who are experiencing difficulty in accessing food.

Part of DTiQ is to help our customers feel supported by bringing them an added sense of safety and security. As a company that often partners with businesses in the restaurant and quick service industry, like KFC, we are proud to be a part of an industry that will come together and do good in times of trial and tribulation. DTiQ has done the same, and we will continue to work with customers on innovative and various ways to help them keep their operations running smoothly and feel supported until we reach the “new normal”.

To learn how DTiQ provides safety and security to the restaurant industry