ARTICLE
For the past eight months, restaurants have fought hard to keep their businesses open and afloat during a relentless pandemic. Restaurants have risen to the challenge by transitioning their business models, investing in protective equipment, rearranging tables for social distancing and implementing new sanitation protocols. Restaurants have shown ingenuity, persistence and creativity to adapt to an ever changing landscape. Throughout it all, most restaurants have taken the health of customers and employees seriously, adhering to public health guidelines and government mandates. “It’s important to highlight that so many restaurants are doing everything right to ensure the safety of their customers and their teams,” says Kristine Hillmer, President & CEO of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association. “Restaurants are being unfairly targeted as possible spreaders of COVID-19, when in reality there is no data that points to individuals being more likely to contract the virus when going to a restaurant.” Because the survival of so many restaurants is at stake, the Wisconsin Restaurant Association is launching a statewide public awareness campaign to educate the public about what restaurants are doing to keep their customers and employees safe during the pandemic. The “Ready to Serve Safely” campaign showcases those restaurants who are committed to employee and customer safety by following best practices for COVID-19 mitigation. To participate, Wisconsin Restaurant Association member restaurants must sign the “Ready to Serve Safely” commitment and follow specific safety protocols and compliance criteria which include: Follow FDA, CDC and EPA COVID-19 guidelines Adhere to Wisconsin and local health department orders or mandates Provide employee training on food safety, sanitation and COVID-19 mitigation practices Adhere to the Wisconsin Restaurant Association pandemic guidance Restaurants receive a detailed list of criteria that outlines all requirements for participation. Participating restaurants will be listed in the online Ready to Serve Safely directory of Wisconsin Restaurants at safediningwisconsin.com. The directory will be promoted to diners looking for restaurants who have invested in their safety. Promotions include digital, television and radio ads statewide as well as a social media campaign. The public awareness campaign is made possible by TRAVEL grant funds in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. Participation in the Ready to Serve Safely program is available to members of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association. The campaign also seeks to rally public support for restaurants as they face even more challenges going into the winter months. “We have seen an outpouring of concern from the public for the plight of restaurants,” according to Hillmer. “We are asking customers to support their local restaurants in whatever way they feel comfortable, whether it’s dine in, carryout, curbside, delivery or drive through. Restaurants are not going to revive and survive without support of their customers and their communities.” Visit safediningwisconsin.com for more information on the Ready to Serve Safely program.
For the past eight months, restaurants have fought hard to keep their businesses open and afloat during a relentless pandemic. Restaurants have risen to the challenge by transitioning their business models, investing in protective equipment, rearranging tables for social distancing and implementing new sanitation protocols. Restaurants have shown ingenuity, persistence and creativity to adapt to an ever changing landscape. Throughout it all, most restaurants have taken the health of customers and employees seriously, adhering to public health guidelines and government mandates.
“It’s important to highlight that so many restaurants are doing everything right to ensure the safety of their customers and their teams,” says Kristine Hillmer, President & CEO of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association. “Restaurants are being unfairly targeted as possible spreaders of COVID-19, when in reality there is no data that points to individuals being more likely to contract the virus when going to a restaurant.”
Because the survival of so many restaurants is at stake, the Wisconsin Restaurant Association is launching a statewide public awareness campaign to educate the public about what restaurants are doing to keep their customers and employees safe during the pandemic.
The “Ready to Serve Safely” campaign showcases those restaurants who are committed to employee and customer safety by following best practices for COVID-19 mitigation.
To participate, Wisconsin Restaurant Association member restaurants must sign the “Ready to Serve Safely” commitment and follow specific safety protocols and compliance criteria which include:
Restaurants receive a detailed list of criteria that outlines all requirements for participation.
Participating restaurants will be listed in the online Ready to Serve Safely directory of Wisconsin Restaurants at safediningwisconsin.com. The directory will be promoted to diners looking for restaurants who have invested in their safety. Promotions include digital, television and radio ads statewide as well as a social media campaign. The public awareness campaign is made possible by TRAVEL grant funds in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.
Participation in the Ready to Serve Safely program is available to members of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
The campaign also seeks to rally public support for restaurants as they face even more challenges going into the winter months. “We have seen an outpouring of concern from the public for the plight of restaurants,” according to Hillmer. “We are asking customers to support their local restaurants in whatever way they feel comfortable, whether it’s dine in, carryout, curbside, delivery or drive through. Restaurants are not going to revive and survive without support of their customers and their communities.”
Visit safediningwisconsin.com for more information on the Ready to Serve Safely program.