Update 4/15/2020:
Resources Available from ServSafe
Get your free ServSafe Food Handler courses, ServSafe Takeout and Delivery: COVID-19 Precautions video, as well as career-enhancing ServSuccess training courses here, and AHLEI courses here.
Update 3/31/2020:
‼️‼️FREE WEBINAR ALERT‼️‼️
Sysco Memphis, LLC. is offering a 🎥 webinar at two different times (11am & 2pm) on Wednesday, April 1st.
Learn about your opportunity to turn your restaurant into a Pop Up Grocery Shop during these critical times! 🍎🍐🍞🍳
Click this link for the webinar 4/1 at 11am
Click this link for the webinar 4/1 at 2pm
Join the MRA for FREE until 7/1 here
Previous posts
This brochure from Ben E. Keith gives some excellent tips.
Set up curbside pickup, to-go ordering, drive-through if you are able, and delivery as soon as possible.
For assistance with curbside parking if you are downtown or in Midtown, click here.
If you don’t have online ordering, now is the time to get that setup. Click here for options from various POS companies.
Eschewing cash for other payments will deter this virus. Consider Venmo, Paypal, online payments, Apple Pay, and contactless readers. It is safer for your employees to not have to handle money, and it will instill a peace-of-mind in your customers as well.
Utilizing your own employees for delivery is a way to keep them working. If you are short-staffed, look at this post for companies that offer delivery.
Be sure to update everywhere with the services you are offering. This includes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Website, and email to your customers. If you are able to update your information on google and yelp, do so.
Print signage to display throughout your establishment. Use our Office Depot discount card for discounts on printing. These are just suggestions.
- Display a sign on your front door that you are complying with the no-dine-in statewide mandate, and that you encourage only one member of the party to enter the store to pick up your order. Depending on the size of your restaurant, you may have to say “we are only allowing x number of patrons inside at one time.”
- Clearly indicate with a sign where your drive-through or curbside parking is.
- If your restrooms are open, display signage that restrooms are open to encourage good health. Something along the lines of “We have allowed our restrooms to remain open to encourage hand-washing. No more than 3 people allowed in the restroom at a time to maintain 6 feet of social distancing.” Keep those restrooms clean and stocked with soap, etc.
- Maybe signs on the restroom doors that say “if you are able, grasp the handle with a paper towel instead of your hand.”
- For your to-go line inside your restaurant, mark with tape or dots a queue which allows for 6-feet of distancing around each customer.
Here is an example from Walgreens:

Please do all you can (signs, employee education, Facebook explanation on your business page, etc) to indicate that your businesses are complying with this ordinance and making an effort to serve the public while curtailing the virus. We hope this will allow our businesses to remain open for as long as possible, even with these restricted operations.
Update all your media channels to communicate if you are open or closed. Your customers will want to know.
Follow the rules:
- From the City of Memphis: “Complaints about noncompliance can be sent on the Memphis Website via the “Message Us” tab. City Attorneys are reviewing the submissions and routing to the appropriate entity to respond. First a visit from Code Enforcement then MPD or Health Department. The penalty varies but could be misdemeanor citation and or revocation of beer permit, business license, etc. It is evolving.”
- Please follow the rules, and we will do all we can do to advocate for you, but we remind you that “perception is everything” and the public is very frightened right now. To avoid unnecessary interruptions to your business, read on:
- It is not against the rules to have more than 10 people in your establishment
- If they are not congregating in one party or group
- If they are standing 6 feet apart or more
- If they are not dining in your restaurant
- If they are not loitering or lingering after they pick up their to-go order
- Encourage only one person per party to enter the restaurant
- Encourage curbside over takeout if possible. Encourage delivery “drop and go” over curbside if possible.
- Discourage children and large families – on the phone when your customer places the order, remind them “we prefer if just one person from your party picks up the order and we will bring it to your car.”
- You are not responsible for groups that linger outside your business, however, you should not be promoting outside dining on your patio.
- Do all you can do to play your part in slowing this virus. It is important for your customers, the public, and the City to perceive that restaurants are doing everything in their power to follow rules and promote public health.
Please remove all your patio and outdoor furniture, or somehow indicate that it is out of commission. (See example image below.) Unfortunately, the public cannot be trusted to abide by social distancing when they are tempted with outdoor seating. We are seeing customers pick up take-out food, then sit outside at the restaurant’s seating and consume their food in groups, in numbers too large to prevent the spread of the virus.


More ideas from Dining Alliance (their website here has even more ideas):
IDEAS FOR REBOUND:
- Add “Grocery Essentials” to all of your online menus, especially your delivery apps like DoorDash, Grubhub, and others. A grocery type item can be added under the “sides menu” or you can often create a special category like “Save a trip to the grocery Store!” You likely have a lot of these items on hand already and your distributors have a ton of inventory for you to pull if these sales go well. (See Examples of Other Operators Grocery Lists at our Operator Support Center)
- Create a Pre-set “Pantry Box” of these items – produce items, disposables, eggs, milk, bread, any frozen or fresh protein item that makes sense at a fixed price per box – $20 to $40.
- Promote the sale of these boxes on all of your social media and other online outlets.
- Setup a small “Market” in the front of the store. Ask all pickup customers if they are in need of any of your market items.
- Check to see if your state has waived laws to allow wine, beer and alcohol to be sold for off-premise consumption. Many states already have, such as CT and FL. If your state hasn’t, email and call local politicians and send the articles from the States that have.
- Call any of your contacts at local public schools and see if there is a way for you to tap into the Free and Reduced Lunch funds for food for families in need. The news media has talked a lot about the plans to feed kids during this shut-down. There are creative ways for restaurants to contribute their resources to this cause.
- If you have had to lay off a lot of your staff and not sure you can operate a takeout and delivery operation you should email your laid off or furloughed staff and ask them if they want to come in to help. Perhaps you can only pay them in a free meal right now, but I think you may be surprised by how many staff members will want to help you and get out of their houses for a shift.
- Create a “Meal Kit” for your signature dishes, similar to Blue Apron or Hello Fresh. Package all the raw ingredients and a recipe or take a self-made video of you or chef preparing that meal and include a link to that video recipe instruction. Again, list this Meal Kit on all your digital menus, especially on your delivery apps.
COVID-19 Posts:
- $2.5M Grant for Restaurant Workers
- NRA Summary of PPP 2nd Draw: Helping Restaurants & Small Businesses
- From the NRA: What the COVID-19 Relief Bill Means for Restaurants
- MRA Statement on Health Directive 16
- Survey About Closing Dining Rooms
- Tips on PPP & Loan Forgiveness
- Quarantine Protocol Updated Dec 4
- Health Department Meeting Thursday, December 3
- Signed letter from Memphis Restaurant Association
- Front Door Printable for HD 15
- Shelby County Commission Meeting Is Today
- Health Directive 15 Statement Input
- Nov 20 Health Department Update
- Webinar With Poplar Health on Pool Testing
- Nov 16 Health Department Update
- Shelby County Health Directive 13 – October 6
- Record a Video for More Relief Now
- Free webinars
- Memphis Restaurant Association Free Printables
- Governor Lee Extends to Go Drinks for Restaurants Through September
- Join the ServSafe Dining Commitment
- Shelby County Health Directive 8
- Lbd Delivery Extended Again With Executive Order
- TN Gov. Lee Announces Relief Program – No Details Yet on How to Apply
- 1-Click Email to TN Senators About PPP
- Free Bilingual COVID-19 Testing by Church Health & St. Michael’s Catholic Church May 29
- Members Who Offer COVID Supplies and Services
- Special Ojo Scooters Promotion for Restaurants
- POS Companies Offering Online Ordering and Curbside Options
- Shelby County Back to Business Requirements
- Free Printable Sign to Screen Your Customers
- Please respond to this survey
- Face Masks available today – Friday, May 1
- Tennessee Business Reopening Protocol
- Members Offering Cleaning Services and Cleaning Supplies
- April 14 LBD Information (Updated)
- Grants and Loans – Money Available for Businesses & Staff
- Apply for the Payroll Protection Program, Which Is Included in the Cares Act
- TN 15% LBD Tax On Hold
- Negotiating With Your Landlord
- Marketing and Compliance Tips for Delivery, To-Go, Curbside
- 3rd Party Delivery Services
- Gov. Bill Lee Permits To-Go and Delivery Wine Sales in TN
- Work for the Service Industry
- Taste901ToGo Social Media Campaign
- Ways you can help
- To-Go Beer Sales Ordinance Passed
- Curbside Parking
- Ways You Can Take Action
- Memphis restaurants that are open for business
- COVID-19 Resources and Links
- TN Businesses Now Eligible for SBA Loans!
- Do I Still Have to Pay Taxes During the Pandemic
- GoFundMe by Edible Memphis
- Relief Grants for the Hospitality Industry
- How to File Loss of Income Insurance
- Act Now US Travel Petition – Sign By Noon Friday Mar 20
- ALERT!!! Mandate to Close ALL Restaurants- Dine-In Only will come from Mayor Strickland this afternoon!
- COVID-19 update from MRA