Too Early?
Louis Ramirez • June 12, 2020
DID RESTAURANTS REOPEN TOO SOON?
DID RESTAURANTS REOPEN TOO SOON?
With coronavirus rates rising and restaurants being forced to re-close after some employees contracted the virus, some city officials say they are considering reinstating stay-at-home orders.
By Heather Lalley on Jun. 12, 2020
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
restaurant openingPhotograph: Shutterstock
With coronavirus rates spiking amid their phased reopenings, the leaders of at least three major U.S. cities are questioning whether they reopened too quickly.
In Nashville, the city’s mayor announced Thursday that the planned resumption of full-capacity restaurant and bar operations would be delayed after noting a “slightly elevated average” in COVID-19 cases over the last two weeks.
In Phoenix, Mayor Kate Gallego said during a mayoral panel discussion that her city “opened too much too early” and that it is now seeing a significant uptick in coronavirus cases that is stressing hospital capacity.
In Houston, city leaders are considering reinstating stay-at-home orders after Texas’ most populous city saw its highest single-day number of coronavirus cases Wednesday since the pandemic began.
“We may be approaching the precipice of a disaster,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the county’s highest-ranking executive, announced. “It’s out of hand right now.”
As of today, Texas restaurants are allowed to increase their capacity from 50% to 75% occupancy. Already, though, a number of restaurantsin Houston have been forced to temporarily re-close after their employees contracted the coronavirus.
Houston Vietnamese restaurant Fu Manchung announced earlier this month via social media that would need to temporarily re-close for two weeks after an employee tested positive for the virus.
“We never thought or expected this to hit so close to home,” the restaurant posted on Instagram. “It’s a very tough decision for our small family business, but the safety of our employees & patrons are our utmost priority.”
Houston bistro Alice Blue announced Thursday on Facebook that one of its BOH employees tested positive for the coronavirus. The restaurant said it would close “at least through the weekend” and that the restaurant would be thoroughly sanitized and that every employee who has been in contact with the infected worker would be tested.
A widespread move to re-shutter restaurants in Texas would do more harm than good, Emily Williams Knight, president and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association, said in a statement.
"What we're hearing from medical experts is that our COVID-19 numbers are increasing because we have hot spots in large facilities like prisons, we're conducting more tests, and some people aren't following the key safety protocols of hand washing, social distancing, and staying home if you’re sick," Williams Knight said. "Closing restaurants that continue to guard public health by implementing strict and comprehensive protocols on each of these three points would not address these problems but would further jeopardize thousands of families' financial well-being. Instead, we all need to redouble our efforts to follow the health and safety protocols while Texas continues to build out its testing, treatment, and contact tracing capabilities."
In Georgia, where restaurants are allowed to reopen at full capacity beginning Tuesday, the state saw its largest single-day spike in coronavirus cases on Thursday since the state reopened in early May.
Around the country, 19 states are currently seeing increasing rates of COVID-19 cases, with some noting record or near-record high numbers. Nearly 114,000 U.S. residents have died since the pandemic began.
Insights
CA SB478 is all about being transparent with your menu prices. Build your cost of credit cards into the menu item. Use Cash Discount to show a decrease in dollars if and when a customer chooses to pay by Cash.
Average Cost of 3rd-Party Online Orders
Introducing the Smart Fee Calculator for Credit Card Processing
Are you tired of guessing the fees associated with processing credit card transactions? Look no further! Our **Smart Fee Calculator for Credit Card Processing** is here to make your life easier. This handy tool allows you to quickly and accurately calculate the cost of processing any dollar amount, taking into account both percentage-based fees and fixed transaction fees.
Simply enter the purchase amount, the percentage fee rate, and the fixed fee per transaction, and our calculator will do the rest. Whether you're a business owner looking to understand your transaction costs or a savvy consumer wanting to know how much extra you're paying, this calculator is designed to provide clear and instant results.
Say goodbye to complicated fee structures and hello to transparency with our Smart Fee Calculator. Try it out today and take control of your credit card processing costs!
Instantly Create Your Restaurant's Online Presence
I provide you an overview of the SkyTab Loyalty within SKYTAB POS.
Loyalty can help increase your sales by an average of 17% in return customers. Watch the short video to get a workflow of how to apply loyalty during a purchase.
The blog post features an "Effective Rate Calculator" to help restaurant owners and merchants quickly determine their net earnings after payment processing fees. By entering transaction details such as sale price, fees, and basis points, users can view the net amount, cost impact of the fees, and the value of basis points, facilitating informed financial decisions.
Discover the Ultimate Kiosk Experience - Unleash the customer experience! Customizable self-ordering kiosk to improve your customer experience while reducing costs
This website blog is designed to guide restaurant owners through the nuances of cash discounts versus surcharges, emphasizing compliance with Visa's guidelines. It offers insights into the Advantage program and the benefits of dual pricing models, helping businesses provide cost savings to customers and comply with payment regulations effectively.
This blog post emphasizes the need for restaurant owners to comply with Visa's surcharge regulations, especially since enforcement intensified on April 15th, 2023. It warns that non-compliance could lead to fines up to $1,000 per violation and highlights the prohibition of debit card surcharges. The post suggests adopting compliant payment methods like Dual Pricing to avoid penalties and ensure transparency. Understanding these regulations is essential to maintain customer trust and protect your business financially.
Customer Display Video
