Time Travel?

Alright… who took the DeLorean up to 88 mph?? In counties all over the state of California, we have gone back in time to March 16, 2020 and are once again on lockdown. Restaurants that invested time and money on infrastructure to provide comfortable and socially distanced space for outdoor dining are once again shut down. They can only provide takeout and delivery. And regardless of whether this was the right or wrong thing to do, I think we can all agree that these local restaurants will suffer.

And not just the restaurant owners will be affected. There is a trickledown effect. Servers and staff are once again out of a job. Even suppliers will be affected. And this will last until this latest shelter order can be lifted and for now that is not until early next year!! All more reasons why we cannot wait for 2020 to be over!

Can we help?

That all said, these restaurants need our help! But what can we do??

Elation Real Estate is here to help you help them. We are Elated to bring you another edition of Elation Real Estate’s Top 10 List.

Below are the top 10 ways to help local restaurants during this new lockdown.

Let’s start with number 10…

# 10… Be courteous and safe when picking up your food. Please wear your mask and follow the social distancing rules. And remember, they are probably just as stressed as you are, if not more. Even though they can’t see it underneath your mask, keep that smile on. We’ll all get through this together.

# 9… Spread the love. There are many different local restaurants to choose from. Although we might all have our favorites, now is a great opportunity to try something new. Spread the love and try ordering from a restaurant you’ve never ordered from before. Who knows, you might find your new favorite spot!

# 8… Buy merchandise if available. Some restaurants have hats and shirts and other restaurant swag items. Obviously, the purchase itself helps them financially, but wearing their hat around town is also great FREE advertising for them! Why not become a walking billboard?

# 7… Give them a Yelp review with 5 Stars. You’ll probably be on your phone while you are eating anyways, might as well give them a good review. Talk about how good the food was, or how nice they were when you picked up the food. Any little bit helps… again, FREE advertising!

# 6… Tip like you just won the lottery! We’ve heard the debates on this one; to tip or not to tip on a takeout order, that is the question. Well, they may not have served you or waited on you at a table, but they still prepared the food for you, they still packaged the food for you, and they are risking their safety and the safety of their family, to make sure you get your meal. An extra tip would be greatly appreciated since that’s all they’ve got right now! And let’s face it, you would have tipped anyway if you were eating in person. So, please, leave them a tip.

# 5… Pay with cash. This is just an easy way to help them save a little bit of the money they are making. Credit card processing fees are expensive so by paying cash, you are ensuring that a little bit more goes into their pocket rather than the bank’s pocket!

# 4… Let them cater your Virtual Party. With Holiday Parties all cancelled this year we’ve seen most of them switching gears and becoming Virtual Holiday parties via ZOOM. Why not have a local restaurant cater that event!? The Rotary Club of Pleasanton North recently hosted a fundraiser via ZOOM where they used a local restaurant to cater the event. Participants were able to pick up their meals from the restaurant to have them ready for the event! It was a huge success.

# 3… Social media shout-outs. Like the yelp review, we know you are all on Facebook or Instagram or any number of other Social Media sites. Why not give the restaurant a little love! Share a picture of the meal or check-in to let your friends and family know how awesome that restaurant is.

# 2… Buy a gift card to give to friends and family and encourage them to do the same. Money spent on a gift card is immediate money in their account and promises you or your loved ones a great meal later. Can’t think of a gift to give someone for the Holidays? We’ve got an idea! How about a gift card to a local restaurant! Brilliant!

And the number one way to help local restaurants…

(drum roll, please)

# 1… Order (more) Takeout.  Just keep ordering … Just keep ordering! We know that we’ve all put on the “Covid 19” and that our jeans aren’t quite fitting the way they used to, but you’ve gotta eat, right? Might as well shop local and eat local as well. Let’s do what we can to support these restaurants because if we don’t, they might not be here when the lockdown orders are lifted!

There you have it! Keep checking back for our next Top 10 List.

And as always, feel free to reach out to any one of us here at Elation Real Estate. You’ll know where to find us… no compass needed!

All the best,
Your Elation Real Estate Team