Posted on March 8th, 2022

Erin Carlman Weber, All Together Now, Chicago: Here at All Together Now, we’re trying to exercise an abundance of caution without going into full-blown panic mode. For one, we’re paying sick leave for all of our employees, so staff doesn’t have to choose between paying rent or being sick and potentially passing that on. We’ve always been super diligent with following the health code and washing hands, but are also cognizant of sanitizing high-touch surfaces, like countertops, door knobs, our POS system.

In Chicago we’re talking about the news, but no one is expressing concern and panic. All Together Now is a neighborhood spot and specialty shop, so we don’t have to rely on tourism—we’ve established a rapport with our regular customers, and haven’t experienced a downturn yet. We are planning to expand our delivery and takeout program to include packaged cheese boards and natural wines, along with sandwiches should it ever get to that point. The weather was recently gorgeous, so it was quite busy; people were talking about COVID-19, but for now, it’s still light and joking. Today, I did see some people come in for a meeting, but instead of shaking hands, they just bumped elbows. There’s that.

For now all of our supply chains are flowing freely—we’re not experiencing a shortage of stock for the shop or the kitchen. We’ve been in touch with our POS vendor, though, who has assured us that things are fine if their employees work remotely. The news is top of mind for me, but we’re staying proactive. It’s the best thing I can do for our community. I can’t control how the city or government responds to the illness, but controlling what I can in my little All Together Now domain gives me a sense of calm. I know we’re doing what we can to take care of our employees and our community.

Original article: https://www.bonappetit.com/story/food-businesses-covid-19