Sam Tell isn't just the one-stop shop for all the foodservice supplies and equipment a restaurant needs. It's also your source for insights into the restaurant industry.
Every month, we shine the spotlight on a handful of Sam Tell clients to celebrate their success and share what makes them special in our seasonal roundup. Take a look at this season's selections below:
February
Restaurants Show Love For A Valentine’s Day Weekend Return
With the news that Valentine’s Day weekend (starting Friday, Feb. 12) will mark the return to indoor dining at 25 percent capacity, astute New York City restaurants are rolling out special Valentine’s Day menus for dine-in customers, while other establishments are maintaining the stay-at-home theme of the past year with to-go prefix meals. Though typical for city restaurants in February, these special Valentine’s Day menus are a hopeful sign that the table is set for a return to normalcy in the restaurant industry
Click here to check out what a handful of NYC restaurants are planning for their Valentine’s Day weekend special menus.
NY Restaurant Workers Now Eligible For COVID Vaccination
In another sign that we could soon see a shred of normalcy in the restaurant industry, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that restaurant workers are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.
The lone caveat—workers can get vaccinated if local governments can spare the shots. Along with members of the restaurant industry, Cuomo also added taxi drivers and workers at facilities for the developmentally disabled to the eligibility list. The current vaccine-eligible group, dubbed Phase 1b, got onto the list because the federal government recently released additional vaccine doses to New York State. Read more here!
January
National Restaurant Association Delivers PPP Loan Details
Here’s the gist of it: Eligible restaurants and small businesses can access $284.5 billion in new PPP loans, which can be fully forgiven if proceeds are used for allowable expenses during a selected 8-week or 24-week period that begins after the proceeds are received. This can prove to be a significant turning point for struggling businesses, particularly in the restaurant industry.
The National Restaurant Association earlier this month published a guide that outlines the new rules established by the federal government. Click here to access the document!
Eateries Display Hot Ideas To Combat Cold Weather
Dining outdoors in NYC during the winter months involves much more than a table, a few chairs, and an evergreen tree or two. Some restaurants have taken to building fantastic enclosures that can cater to intimate rendezvous or larger parties, while one particular eatery’s novel outdoor feature has proven to be more valuable than previously thought.
Click here to read our blog and learn more!
Winter Restaurant Week Takes On Takeout Initiative
Photo Credit: NY Eater
We love restaurant week. And while the summertime version was unceremoniously canceled due to the pandemic, city officials and restaurant owners have come together to hash out a plan to take the event out of the restaurant and give customers the chance to enjoy the culinary perks with a takeout version of restaurant week.
Click here to find out which restaurants can gain support through this initiative!
New Year's Eve
Don’t Drop The Ball On New Year’s Eve To-Go
With dine-in restrictions returning to NYC, customers are looking for to-go and pick-up options to ring in the New Year. Check out what some well-known restaurants are offering their customers by visiting our blog. Also, click here to download our Holiday Catering Supplies flyer.
Scare-Up New Business With A Ghost Kitchen
The restaurant industry continues to shift in new and unexpected ways. Though ghost kitchens have been around for quite some time, these dining room bereft eateries are transforming from niche effort to industry mainstay. Read more here.
