In the soon-to-be immortal words of @justme.rod, an anxiety-riddled millennial Instagram sensation, “…we were so close to precented times. So close.”
And he’s right. After 18 months of a global pandemic, something resembling ‘normal’ seemed to be creeping back into our daily lives. COVID-19 vaccinations were readily available, people were dining in restaurants, sitting closer than six-feet apart, even gathering with other households.
It was too good to be true. Enter: the Delta Variant.
Highly contagious, even amongst the fully vaccinated, the Delta Variant has cities and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reeling to contain the spread. In July, the CDC encouraged everyone, even fully vaccinated people to, “wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission”.
Los Angeles County, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. have re-instated indoor mask mandates. Today, New York City becomes the first city in the country to mandate vaccinations for indoor dining. New York City has resisted the mask mandate, for now, but the mayor does strongly recommend vaccinated individuals wear a mask indoors.
It’s part of the city’s “Key to NYC Pass” initiative, which will require proof of vaccinations for key workers and customers for indoor dining, fitness, entertainment and performance venues. The mandate goes into effect on August 16, and will be enforced from September 13 onwards. Guests wanting to dine indoors have three options: register on the NYC COVID Safe App, New York’s Excelsior app, or show their paper vaccination card.
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Some New York operators have been requiring proof of vaccination since May, when Governor Andrew Cuomo lifted the majority of the city’s COVID-19-related restrictions. This allowed them to operate at 100% capacity, without having to separate groups by six feet or install dividers.
With so many of the leading markets trending towards increased safety protocols, operators in smaller markets need to consider their own policies. Over the last week, Seattle, Washington had a sudden spike of on-premises requiring proof of vaccination. Oddfellows Café + Bar, part of The Derschang Group, posted support of New York’s new regulations to their Instagram story. In it, the account commented “Throughout the last year and a half, Seattle has been following what NYC has been doing.” All of The Derschang Group concepts, including Linda’s Tavern and King’s Hardware, are now requiring proof of vaccination for entry.
Oddfellows’ Instagram story raises an important point. Most markets in the country look to places like New York City and Los Angeles to take the temperature of a situation and see what’s coming next. But large cities don’t necessarily represent the wants of the rest of the country. Masks and vaccination cards have become highly controversial and politicized. Many people see them as necessary restrictions to promote public health, while others views them as restrictions on personal, even religious, freedoms.
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Ultimately, operators must find a balance between their own beliefs and those of their customer base in order to survive the next wave of COVID-19. Regardless of what policies you institute, clear messaging seems to be key. This time around, savvy operators have their rules written down and simply stated, taking the stress away from employees who previously were tasked with verbally enforcing the venue’s rules.
Goldie’s in Brooklyn has had a sign up since May 19, explaining that guests need to provide either proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test. The sign offers multiple ways for guests to gain access to the establishment, including a QR code to the NYS Excelsior Pass website, where you can quickly access proof of vaccination, and a list of clinics in the area offering rapid testing. Their policy was put in place prior to the city-wide mandate.
The Derschang Group has issued clear in-house policies for each of their three venues. King’s Hardware, for example, posted on their Instagram page stating: “King’s Hardware will require proof of COVID-19 Vaccination starting today 7/29”. The post’s caption is short and simple: “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Vaccine, No Entry… Thank you for keeping our team safe and see you soon!”
In Chicago, 2Bears Tavern Group announced their company-wide policy on Instagram, and through an email blast. “Starting on Tuesday, August 3, proof of vaccination will be required for all patrons…anyone attempting to present fraudulent proof is subject to a ban from all 2Bears Tavern Group establishments.” The post concludes with this simple message: “Our entire team is vaccinated. You should be too.”
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Operators who are interested in establishing their own COVID-19-related policies can look to these venues for guidance. Keep your messaging simple, concise and confident. Social media backlash is inevitable, be prepared for this and have a plan of action for how you want to best engage with the comments on your social media pages. Finally: protect your staff. They’re the ones who will be receiving the majority of backlash, and it’s stressful. Train them well and coach them on how you would like disgruntled customers treated. Empower them to make the right decision for your business when you’re not there, and make sure there is a clear support system in place for them in case they start to suffer from overwhelm or burnout.
We started with a @Justme.Rod quote, and we’re going to end with a @Justme.Rod quote: “We really got yeeted back to 2020”.
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