Industry Communications

Marco’s Pizza

You can count on Marco’s Pizza.

As a people-first, service-oriented business, we remain open for delivery and carryout to serve our mission of making a positive difference in the community. There are individuals from the communities we serve who are homebound or may be quarantined and unable to visit the grocery store or make their own meals, and we are here to help.

Marco’s Pizza owners and their teams are stepping up across the country, helping those in need. We promise to remain open as long as we are deemed to be an essential business by the CDC during this pandemic, especially for states in “Shelter at Home” situations.
Notably, Nick Morgan, a multi-unit Marco’s franchisee operating in Northwest Arkansas, helped spark a movement via a Facebook post that has now been shared more than 12,000 times, helping spread the word about where families can find free lunches while schools in Arkansas are closed due to COVID-19. Many Marco’s locations are following suit providing community giveback programs and other essential services.

With more than 950 locations, Marco’s Pizza hopes to provide a much-needed service as the nation continues to navigate this dynamic situation. We are committed to providing a high-quality service no matter the scenario and are exploring new ways in which we can continue to support our employees and the communities they serve, as our national, state and local governments look to put broader provisions in place.

The health and well-being of Marco’s employees, guests and community remains our No. 1 priority as the company adapts and innovates to continue to service the nation in a time of need. Consumers can now seamlessly order Contact-Free delivery by phone, or through the Marco’s Pizza app or online at Marcos.com, where you can indicate this in the delivery instructions box as you place your orders. We’ve brought back our Unlimited Medium 1-Topping pizza for $6.99/each for either carryout or delivery to feed families in these uncertain economic times.

The cleanliness of our stores is always a top priority for us, now more than ever. Our procedures are designed to protect the health and well-being of our employees and guests. We have increased the frequency of our cleaning and sanitizing procedures, and we have intensified sanitization measures for high-touch areas. We have also prepared our stores to respond quickly to any emerging situation, working closely in collaboration with our local health departments and the CDC.
As I always say to our employees and franchisees, we are in the “people” business. The people and our communities need us now more than ever before.

You can count on Marco’s Pizza.

Sincerely,

Tony Libardi

President & COO of Marco’s Franchising, LLC.

Chick-Fil-A

To Our Valued Guests,

As our communities continue to feel the increased impact of coronavirus, we feel it is important to share with you what we are doing to help keep people safe and healthy. Please be assured we have protocols in place and are working with the CDC and local public health officials.

At Chick-fil-A, we strive to take great care of the people in communities in which we serve, from local Operators and their restaurant Team Members to Guests dining in our restaurants across the country.

As part of our protocols, our restaurants have heightened their cleaning and disinfecting procedures to maintain a healthy environment for our Guests and Team Members. We’ve instructed anyone who is not feeling well to stay home out of an abundance of caution and self-monitor their symptoms. In addition to following CDC guidance and partnering with local health departments, all franchise restaurants have been equipped with recommended procedures to follow if their community, or someone from their restaurant, becomes impacted by the virus.

As the situation evolves, restaurants may implement additional preventative measures to ensure Guest and Team Member wellbeing, including staffing or service modifications. Each local restaurant Operator will communicate necessary changes within their restaurant.

In addition, actions we have taken over the past several years have helped us prepare for scenarios like this and throughout this process, we have been continuously refining and implementing new procedures. From food safety to health and hygiene to cleaning and sanitation, we have allocated an abundance of resources into building chainwide guidelines that go above and beyond FDA requirements.

Thank you in advance for your patience as we navigate this challenging situation one day at a time and determine how best to continue serving our communities, while maintaining our focus where it belongs: on our Valued Guests and Team Members.

Sincerely,
Tim Tassopoulos, President and COO Chick-fil-A

Chuck E. Cheese

Dear Valued Guests:

We are monitoring the evolving COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation closely and coordinating with public health officials to make decisions on what is best for our guests and employees. Please call ahead or check our website often for announcements on store closures, changes in operating hours and procedures. We have made operating adjustments in all locations.

At this time, we have strict limits on seating capacity in all locations; we have halted reservations for groups and fundraisers through the end of the month and have asked Chuck E. Cheese to take a rest from his normal activity in the restaurants  and we  hope to have him back very soon.   Our kitchens will be open for To-Go and Delivery  orders,  so you can have  family  fun at home  too!

Please be aware of the additional steps we have taken to ensure we are meeting or exceeding any Health Department guidance; these include:

• Creating more space in between individual birthdays in the party room and limiting the amount of reservations in each restaurant
• Offering pre-made salad options in place of our open salad bar
• And we are continuing our rigorous cleaning and sanitization procedures throughout the location as well as providing hand sanitizer as soon as you walk in near our Kid Check® location

Without  a doubt, the COVID-19 outbreak has now touched every aspect of our daily lives. We’re a brand built to celebrate the fun times with family and friends and our focus remains on safety. We’ll continue sharing updates  and thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we work through this together.

Best Regards,

David

In-n-Out Burger

Notice regarding Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

3/13/20

Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) around the world. As the impact of this situation grows in the communities where we do business, we would like to share the steps that we’re taking to keep our Associates and Customers safe.

At In-N-Out Burger, nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our Customers and our family of Associates. In our restaurants, we are putting a great deal of emphasis on the procedures that support our high standards in the areas of cleanliness and health. Some of the most important areas of focus are:

• Ensuring that our excellent handwashing practices are rigorously followed
• Strictly requiring Associates who don’t feel well to stay home from work
• Frequently disinfecting commonly touched surfaces in all areas of our restaurants

Additionally, we have asked each of our Associates to inform us of exposure to anyone diagnosed with coronavirus, or of any international travel. When appropriate, we will exclude Associates from work to confirm that they are not infected with the virus.

We’ve taken steps to minimize large gatherings of Associates, including the postponement of meetings, workshops, and inter-department sports tournaments. Non-essential business travel has been cancelled. In order to accommodate working parents in the case of school closures, we are prepared to be even more flexible with scheduling in our restaurants and we are preparing work-from-home options for our corporate Associates, when possible.

We’ve taken the step to replenish Associate paid sick-time banks to ensure that every single In-N-Out Burger Associate will have at least two weeks of paid sick time available to them should they not feel well and need to stay home from work.

Every day, we hold ourselves to very high cleanliness and health standards that are designed to maintain a safe and healthy environment in our restaurants. In addition, we remain vigilant in learning more about this disease by monitoring developments closely and keeping informed of additional recommendations from public health agencies. Our own internal health experts are in constant communication with our teams of leaders and with other experts outside of our company. We are ready to initiate further measures that will make a positive difference, as they become known.

At In-N-Out, we are committed to doing what’s right to protect our Customers and Associates, and to do our part in preventing transmission of Coronavirus.

Thank you to our loyal Customers for your continued confidence and trust in our people and our company.

Respectfully,

Denny Warnick
Vice President of Operations

McDonald’s

Dear Valued Customer,

On behalf of McDonald’s USA, I want to assure you that in times of uncertainty, the safety of our customers and people remains our highest priority.

Please know that we are keeping those affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) in our thoughts while we closely watch the evolving situation.

In the meantime, I want to inform you of the proactive steps McDonald’s and our franchisees are taking to ensure the safety in our restaurants across all our communities – in proactive partnership with local and national health authorities.

For more than 65 years, McDonald’s values of quality, service, and cleanliness have endured. Today, that same commitment guides all our actions. Specifically, we are:

• Adhering to our industry-leading, deep-cleaning procedures in every restaurant, every day.
• Ensuring high-touch areas get more frequent deep cleanings – places like ordering kiosks, pick-up counters and restrooms.
• Enhancing our McDelivery procedures to ensure order packaging remains safe before we fill it with your favorite items so you can enjoy McDonald’s at home.
• Supporting employees in staying home from work if they are sick so they can rest and recover.

More than ever, we are proud to honor our commitment to cleanliness so you feel confident dining with us. We sincerely thank you for your continued business, and above all, for your trust in the Golden Arches.

Joe Erlinger

President, McDonald’s USA

Shake Shack

To our Shack Community,

Hospitality is about being on your side. Shake Shack’s role in the world has always been to enrich the lives of others. It’s about putting our people first and ensuring the wellbeing of our team members, guests, and communities. With that as our guide, and in response to the current COVID-19, or coronavirus, we wanted to give you an update on how we’re staying on top of it in all our restaurants.

Throughout our 16 years of serving you, you’ve trusted us to keep the highest levels of cleanliness, sanitation, and food safety. Over the last few weeks, we’ve built on the many procedures we’ve long had in place to further strengthen our approach in this current moment.

Things may look and feel a bit different in your local Shack right now and we appreciate you understanding how we’re operating to keep you safe. In addition to our usual routines, here are some of the extra measures we’ve introduced that you’ll see the next time you visit a Shack:

• We’ve added extra requirements and increased frequency for disinfecting surfaces and deep cleaning throughout the day.
• We’re stationing sanitizing wipes at all of our kiosks and condiment stations, and additional hand sanitizer dispensers for guests will be available.
• All condiments, utensils, and self-serve items will now be handed out by our Shack team upon request.
• All mobile, to-go and delivery orders will be placed in a new, fully sealed bag.
• We’re consistently emphasizing the importance of the health and well-being of our team members. We offer sick pay to our whole team nationwide and are making sure anyone feeling sick knows to stay home. Rest assured, we’ll be taking care of our team during this time.
• We will continue to follow updates and protocol suggested by the CDC, local Departments of Public Health, and World Health Organization to best ensure the safety of our guests and team members.
• As this is a fluid situation, you may see certain Shacks adjusting hours or modifying our operations. There may even be moments where we temporarily choose to close a Shack if we feel it’s in the interest of the safety of our team and community.

During this time, we also want to remind you that you can always pre-order through our app or web channels and we’ll have your order waiting on our pick-up shelves when you walk in.

And if you want to hang at home, we’ll bring your order straight to your doorstep with delivery from Grubhub or Seamless.

As always, we’re thankful for the privilege to serve you.

Randy Garutti
CEO, Shake Shack

Starbucks

The world is grappling with an issue of enormous scale and human impact, and our hearts go out to all who have been affected by the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).

At Starbucks, we believe it is our role and responsibility during this time to prioritize two things: the health and well-being of our customers and partners while also playing a constructive role in supporting local health officials and government leaders as they work to contain the virus. Through that lens, we will continue to make decisions with vigilance and courage informed by the latest science-based information and guided by Our Mission and Values.

I wanted to personally reach out to you and provide an update on the actions that Starbucks is taking to help prevent the spread of the virus and support the health and well-being of our customers, our partners (employees) and our communities.

You may be aware that over the last few weeks we have taken a series of precautionary steps in response to this developing public health impact, including increased cleaning and sanitizing procedures for our stores. We have also prepared our stores to respond quickly to any emerging situation, leveraging the considerable insights we’ve gained from our experience in China, where we continue to see encouraging signs of recovery with over 90% of stores reopened.

We appreciate your understanding that, as a customer, your Starbucks Experience may look different as we navigate through this time together. While we are currently maintaining regular operations across the U.S. and Canada, our stores are prepared to modify operations with options that still allow us to serve you your favorite beverage and food. This means that as we navigate this dynamic situation community-by-community and store-by-store, we may adapt the store experience by limiting seating to improve social distancing, enable mobile order-only scenarios for pickup via the Starbucks App or delivery via Uber Eats, or in some cases only the Drive Thru will be open. As a last resort, we will close a store if we feel it is in the best interest of our customers and partners, or if we are directed to do so by government authorities. In any such situation, we expect store disruption to be temporary.

I want to also thank you for supporting our Starbucks partners who proudly wear the green apron. We have a long-standing history of caring for our partners, recognizing they are the heartbeat of Starbucks. That is why, as we navigate this dynamic situation, in addition to our sick leave benefit and mental health offerings, we are also expanding catastrophe pay so that partners do not need to feel like they need to choose between their health and their work.

Thank you for being a loyal customer. It is our intent to remain transparent, providing the latest information from Starbucks here.

Starbucks resilience is owed to our unwavering Mission to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.

We are privileged to serve you and your community and look forward to seeing you soon.

Regards,

Kevin Johnson
ceo, Starbucks

Texas Roadhouse

Loyal Guests,

Your Texas Roadhouse family has always taken pride in delivering Legendary Food and Legendary Service in a safe and clean environment. During this unprecedented time, we want to assure you we have taken proactive measures to address the issue of Coronavirus in our communities.

The health and safety of our guests and Roadies (employees) is and always will be our top priority. With the guidance of the CDC and other public health officials, we have enhanced the frequency and scope of our sanitizing procedures to maintain our already high standards. We continue to add resources and focus on handwashing, hygiene, and sanitation in our restaurants.

On behalf of all of our Managing Partners across the country, thank you for your loyalty and trust.

Kent Taylor
Texas Roadhouse
Founder & CEO

Ruby Tuesday

To our Loyal SoConnected Guests,

Safety is Our #1 Priority
Ruby Tuesday has always taken great pride in making and serving our food in a safe and clean environment. During this uniquely challenging time, we want to assure you that we have taken all additional proactive measures across our restaurants. The health and safety of our guests and team members is always, and will continue to be, our top priority.

Free Delivery
In an effort to address the concerns and needs of our loyal guests, Ruby Tuesday is offering Free Delivery through April with each of the following providers – DoorDash, Grubhub, and Postmates (where available). No coupon is necessary.

Ruby TueGo 25% Off
In addition, we will continue to offer our Ruby TueGo services. Simply call the restaurant directly or go to rubytuesday.com and place your order for pick-up. If preferred, we are happy to offer curbside service in many locations and will bring your order to your car. Through April, our TueGo services will include 25% off your carry-out order. The 25% discount will be taken at time of payment, no coupon necessary.

New Hours of Operation
In many cases, states have closed dine-in service at restaurants while maintaining pick-up and delivery. Many Ruby Tuesday locations are still open for dine-in service from noon to 8:00 p.m. where available. Please check online at rubytuesday.com or with your local Ruby Tuesday for hours of operation. Ruby TueGo will continue to be offered in all our restaurants, along with delivery (where available). We are proud to be a part of your communities and will continue to do all we can to help our guests and team members manage through this difficult time. We share your commitment to staying healthy and safe. Thank you.

Shawn Lederman

CEO, Ruby Tuesday

Steak ‘n Shake

To our valued guests,

The unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak requires we all make changes to ensure the safety of our fellow citizens.  To that end, Steak ‘n Shake is committed to helping stop the spread of this disease and to protecting our customers and employees.

Following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), we have enacted the following policies in all our restaurants.  Effective immediately, we are:

• Escalating our cleaning and disinfecting practices to maintain the highest standards of hygiene including door handles, menus, dining tables, chairs, countertops, touch screens and restrooms.
• Reminding all employees of the need for frequent and proper hand washing, glove use and strict adherence to all other existing safety protocols.
• All employees are asked to check their temperature prior to each shift. Any staff member with a fever will be advised to seek medical attention and will not be allowed to work.
• Our drive-thru experience, online ordering and delivery options remain open in all available locations for those who prefer this method of service.

Your health and safety are our top priority.

Thank you.

Steven L. May

Chief Financial Officer

Buckhorn

Dear Buckhorn Families,

In these uncertain times, we wanted to say “thank you” for your continued loyal support and patronage.

Buckhorn is committed to serving you, your families, and our community during this time.

Buckhorn has developed a variety of options to enjoy our quality food to go:

Take Out: We are currently offering 10% off all orders through buckhorngrill.com.

Additionally, we have plenty of catering options for your workplace or small event.

Delivery: We have partnered with a couple of third party providers who have the cleanliness standards that align with ours. These partners will deliver you our home-cooked food.

Curb-Side Pick Up: Starting immediately, we are offering curbside pick up. At select stores, we have dedicated two parking spaces for curbside pick up. When you arrive to pick up your food, please call our store, and a team member will walk out your meal to your car.

Take Out Feasts: Buckhorn has created four different meal options for you and your family. Our options are below. (AVAILABLE STARTING THURSDAY, MARCH 19th, 2020)

Thank you!

Buckhorn Management

Cicis Pizza

To Our Guests,

At Cicis we take a lot of pride in making your dining experience memorable, and there is nothing more important to us
than the safety and well-being of our Guests, employees and the communities we serve. With Coronavirus (COVID-19)
on the minds of many, I want to take a moment to personally update you on the steps we are taking at Cicis to ensure
your health and safety during this challenging time.

To help protect our restaurants against COVID-19, we are in constant communication with local health officials, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. We are leveraging these resources to
ensure our teams have the most current and effective tools and processes for restaurant sanitation. Our goal is to
ensure the restaurant policies we put in place meet or exceed their recommended guidelines.

Additionally, we have several cleaning and sanitation initiatives underway in all our locations. These initiatives
include increasing the frequency of restaurant cleaning with a focus on dining areas, restrooms and game rooms to
include game units themselves; increasing frequency of changing out buffet utensils; increasing the frequency of hand
washing to exceed the recommended standards.

Our heart goes out to all who have been impacted by the virus, and I want to personally thank all our franchisees,
operators, corporate employees and restaurant team members who have committed to protect our Guests and each
other.

As the situations surrounding COVID-19 continue to change and evolve, what won’t change is our commitment to do
everything we can to help ensure the health and safety of everyone involved with the Cicis brand. We have earned
your trust and loyalty for 35 years and through our commitment to bringing you an unlimited quality buffet for a value
price, we want to thank you. As we have during other challenging world events, we will work tirelessly to persevere
through this one together.

Sincerely,

Bill Mitchell

CEO, Cicis Pizza

Cameron Mitchell Restaurants

March 19, 2020 Update:

This is, without a doubt, one of the most incredibly difficult times we have ever faced at Cameron Mitchell Restaurants. Like you, I am heartbroken and am anxiously awaiting the end of this global health crisis so that we can return to business as usual and invite you, our loyal guests, to dine with us once again.

Although we fully understand and agree with the actions of governors and public health officials to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve, the devastating impacts rippling through the restaurant community due to this situation cannot be overstated.

Our Associates are the backbone of CMR, and I am deeply concerned about their well-being during this unprecedented time. We are currently working with a core group of company leaders  to identify  ways  we can support our Associates. I’m glad to share with you that CMR has established an Associate Relief Fund. We will be donating 100% of online gift card sale proceeds, from today through March  31, 2020, to this fund.

We will divide the fund proceeds evenly among our 4,000 Associates, and each Associate will receive a check in early April. While we can’t predict how much we will raise, we hope this effort will help them put food on their table during this time.

On behalf of CMR, thank you for considering purchasing a gift card before the end of the month to support our Associates. We look forward to welcoming you to your favorite CMR restaurant as soon as we’re able to reopen our doors. Our Great People Delivering Genuine Hospitality will be excited to greet you once again.

My wish for you and your loved ones is to stay healthy, to care for each other and to be strong as we navigate these uncharted waters together.

Thank you for your support of our team. Your Raving Fan,

Cameron Mitchell, Founder and CEO

Jack in the Box

We have been closely monitoring the evolving status of COVID-19 in the U.S. and globally over the last month. At this time, we are allowing customers to enter the restaurant to purchase and pick up take-out orders. Restrooms and dining room seating will remain closed until further notice. The health and safety of our customers, employees, and communities is our number one priority and we will continue to provide drive-thru, delivery, and mobile order pick-up. Thank you!

Door Dash

Hi there,

DoorDash remains vigilant in our efforts to help the communities we serve during this uncertain time. We are actively working to ensure the safety of customers and Dashers and supporting the local businesses who are being asked to change how they operate. The U.S. FDAhas stated that there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with the spread of COVID-19. With cities and states restricting business operations to minimize social contact, mayors and governors have called upon residents to use delivery and pickup services instead.

Here are the actions we’re taking to promote health and safety on our platform as well as to support the local businesses that remain open for delivery and pickup.

• Deliveries are moving to no-contact by default. With this update, “Leave it at my door” will be the default drop-off option. You’ll see a new Drop-off menu at checkout with this selected but you can also still select “Hand it to me” if you prefer. You can still leave additional instructions you’d like the Dasher to know such as an apartment number or more detail on where to place your order. This update is rolling out on the web and iOS now with Android coming soon. You can learn more here.
• Providing financial assistance to Dashers who are sick. To ensure Dashers who are sick can focus on recovering, we’re providing assistance to eligible Dashers and Couriers who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or quarantined.
• We’re extending DashPass benefits to our community. We’ve added 100,000 independent restaurants to DashPass—our subscription program which offers $0 delivery fees for customers—for free to help them generate higher sales while offering more selection to DashPass members. You can learn more about DashPass here.
• Helping restaurants generate up to $200 million in additional sales. We announced a package of commission relief and marketing support for new and existing DoorDash partner restaurants. Independent restaurants can now sign up with DoorDash for free and pay zero commissions for 30 days. For all existing DoorDash and Caviar partners, restaurants will pay no commission fees on pickup orders.

In addition to supporting customers, Dashers and restaurants we’re also joining forces with community organizations to deliver an estimated one million pounds of groceries and prepared food to vulnerable communities in need.

We’re in this together, and as the situation evolves, we’ll continue to do everything we can to serve our community. You can read more details about the programs above here. The entire DoorDash team thanks you for your support, and we will continue to keep you informed as we take additional action.

– The DoorDash Team

Le Pain Quotidien

To our valued guest,

In light of COVID-19 and out of concern for our guests, teams and communities at large, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily close our restaurants until further notice.

We appreciate your support during these challenging times and look forward to serving you again soon.

Huey Magoo’s

To All Huey Magoo’s Valued Guests:

The safety of our team members and our guests is our highest priority. Each and every one of us in the Huey Magoo’s family takes great pride not only in the quality of our tenders, but also in the health and safety of all of our team members and loved guests. Due to increased concern over the impact of COVID-19, we are temporarily closing our dining room seating at all Huey Magoo’s locations but will still be serving Take Out orders directly from our restaurants and also offering Delivery through our third-party delivery services.

For Take Out, simply call in your phone orders for pick-up at your desired location or order online.  Visit www.hueymagoos.com for a list of all locations and contact information. For Delivery, place your order through Uber Eats and DoorDash, offering delivery to Huey Magoo’s customers at participating locations. (Delivery is not available at Loganville, GA, but their pick-up window is now open, and the drive thru is open at our Ocoee, FL location.)

Huey Magoo’s high expectations of sanitary standards are always at the forefront of our minds.  We will continue to overly scrutinize and maximize our sanitation practices to ensure the health and safety of our team members and everyone that visits our restaurants to pick up their orders to reduce any potential threat and help stop the spread of COVID-19. We are doing everything we can to ensure our team members are educated and prepared, to ensure their well-being and that of our guests.

We look forward to continuing to feed our neighborhoods the best chicken tenders in America. We will remain vigilant taking the above and beyond steps to protect our team members and our guests throughout this time. We are here for our neighborhoods, and we hope to return to normal business operations and fulfilling all Huey Magoo’s cravings as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate through this challenging time together.

With warm regards,

Andy Howard

President & CEO of Huey Magoo’s Restaurants

Nothing Bundt Cakes

Dear Nothing Bundt Cakes Guests,

Out of an abundance of care and caution, and in light of current public health concerns, our top priority is to focus on the health and well-being of our team members, guests and communities and help limit the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). As we continue monitoring and responding to this rapidly changing situation, we’ve decided to limit our hours of operation. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Since things may change day by day, please always refer to our website for the most up-to-date hours of operation.

As a reminder, most of our bakeries offer delivery and curbside pickup for your convenience. Please call your bakery to confirm if those services are available.

Our thoughts are with anyone whose life has been directly affected, and we encourage you to stay home as much as possible and spend time with those who matter most so we can weather this crisis together.

We thank you for your loyalty and look forward to baking for you again soon.

Sincerely,

Nothing Bundt Cakes