Disney Springs Begins Phased Reopening on May 20

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by , Vice President, Disney Springs

A phased reopening of Disney Springs will begin on May 20. Following the guidance of government and health officials, a limited number of shopping and dining experiences that are owned by third-party operating participants will begin to open during this initial phase. The rest of Walt Disney World Resort will remain closed, including theme parks and resort hotels.

As we continue to monitor conditions, and with the health of guests and Disney cast members at the forefront of our planning, we are making several operational changes. Disney Springs will begin to reopen in a way that incorporates enhanced safety measures, including increased cleaning procedures, the use of appropriate face coverings by both cast members and guests, limited-contact guest services and additional safety training for cast members.

We will apply learnings and ideas from leaders in the health and travel industries, and we’re also talking to our unions as we prepare for some cast members to return to work.

During the initial opening phase, Disney Springs will have limitations on capacity, parking and operating hours. Given this unprecedented situation, we appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we navigate through this process as responsibly as we can. Additional protocols and procedures may be announced closer to the opening date. Please check DisneySprings.com as we get closer to May 20 for the most current information on operating hours, locations and safety procedures.

Sustainability & Green Initiatives at the Universal Orlando Resort Hotels

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By: Tim Bailey, Area Managing Director of Operations, Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando

Our Commitment

As the co-owner and operator of all eight hotels at Universal Orlando Resort, Loews Hotels & Co embraces its responsibility as an environmental steward and is committed to achieving success through sustainable and environmentally responsible business practices. Our hotels are focused on conserving energy and water, reducing waste and optimizing responsible sourcing.

“Loews Hotels is in the business of hospitality, but we also believe that doing the right thing is everyone’s business, especially when it comes to being environmentally responsible,” said David Bartek, vice president of operations for Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando. “That’s why we remain focused on consistently re-evaluating and raising our standards to find greater efficiencies and innovative, sustainable solutions.”

Current Practices at Some or All of the Universal Orlando Resort Hotels

ENERGY & WATER CONSERVATION

  • Guest rooms feature programmable thermostats with motion detectors to control air conditioning and reduce energy use as well as low-flow shower heads and sink faucets to conserve water. Energy-efficient lighting is used throughout the hotel and public lighting is on timers.
  • We are an Energy Star Partner through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings initiative.

WASTE REDUCTION

  • Green bags in guest rooms empower guests to recycle aluminum, plastic bottles, glass and papers. Heart of house recycling includes aluminum, steel, plastic, cardboard, toner cartridges, fluorescent bulbs, paper, newspaper, office paper, glass, and magazines.
  • Our hotels utilize recycled products, including all paper products made from 100% recycled materials.
  • In 2019, our Orlando hotels recycled more than 15.2 million pounds of waste and 370 tons of cardboard.
  • Biodegradable and low toxicity cleaning products are used throughout the operation.
  • Excess food is donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.
  • Our hotels partner with Clean the World, a global health organization committed to improving the quality of life for vulnerable populations around the world. Through their programs, they provide hygiene supplies and education using recycled and repurposed supplies donated by hospitality industry partners.

 

RESPONSIBLE SOURCING

  • Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando purchase products and seasonal items from Central and South Florida vendors.
  • Our hotels use eco-friendly inks and papers. Room service, lounges, bars, banquet rooms and restaurants, including pool restaurants, primarily use reusable linen, dishware and silverware.

GREEN CERTIFIED

  • Our hotels are designated members of the Florida Green Lodging Program and the Orlando Green Business Certification program.
  • Six hotels earned the Three Palm designation, the second highest ranking of environmental performance from the Florida Green Lodging Program. The two newest hotels in our portfolio at Universal’s Endless Summer Resort are currently in the certification process.

Focused on the Future

As technology advances, Loews Hotels & Co, in partnership with Universal Orlando, will continuously seek new ways to integrate leading environmental practices into our operations and partner with like-minded vendors. Our teams remain focused on consistently re-evaluating and raising our standards to find greater efficiencies and innovative, sustainable solutions that help build a greener world.

 

Shift Your Sales Strategy to Online

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Social distancing has increased the adoption of online shopping as people spend more time at home. Thus, having an e-commerce presence has never been more important to reduce the distance between you and customers. Yet, many small businesses are still not using the internet to conduct business. In fact, 36% of U.S. small businesses don’t have a company website, according to Small Business Trends. Now is the time to get online, or to refresh your e-commerce presence if you already have one.

Remind consumers they can still shop with you, even from a distance

A website is a must-have for any business right now. Consumers spending more time at home still need to shop. And you need to be able to accept payments for purchases online.

Break down physical walls

Whether connecting via a mobile-friendly website or a mobile-ordering app, consumers are increasingly engaging with businesses from their sofa. A website makes your business accessible from anywhere in the world by potential customers that have an Internet connection.

Create another marketing channel

A website is an online billboard. It gives you another chance to introduce people to your offerings and another way to find you. Existing customers can refer you to their friends and relatives using only your web address.

Interact with customers in the way that they choose

According to the National Restaurant Association, 54% of adults order directly from a website or mobile app because of the customer experience it provides. Joan can pre-order meals from her favorite restaurant on her mobile device and simply pull up to the curbside parking spot to pick up. Zack will pick up his meal in-store, but pre-ordering helps him bypass the line. Ted can order food delivered to the comfort of his home and avoid crowds altogether.

Stay in contact with customers

A website provides two-way communication with potential customers. If you have just added delivery as a service, be sure to talk about it. Encourage your customers to leave feedback on your products and service. Your customers may be on self-quarantine, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stay connected and continue providing excellent service.

An online presence can keep your business going when people are practicing social distancing and cities are enacting stay in place. When fears pass, your website will continue to be a valuable asset that can change and improve your business in the future.

 

About Heartland
Heartland provides entrepreneurs with software-driven technology to manage and grow their business. The company serves more than 400,000 merchants nationwide, delivering trusted solutions for payment, payroll and human resources, point of sale, customer engagement and lending. Heartland is a leading industry advocate of transparency, merchant rights and security. Heartland is a Global Payments Company (NYSE: GPN), a Fortune 500 Company. Learn more at heartland.us.

Uber Eats Gives Back to The Restaurant Industry

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Uber has been a leader in aiding the restaurant industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to promoting and waiving delivery fees for customers on orders to local, independent restaurants and making contactless delivery possible, they have now launched an in-app feature that allows customers to donate to their favorite restaurants.

The in-app feature allows for customers to donate directly to their restaurant of choice, and Uber plans to match every contribution dollar-for-dollar up to $3 million to the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. They have already committed an additional $2 million donation also going to the fund.

The Restaurant Employee Relief Fund was established by the National Restaurant Association to help restaurant industry employees experiencing hardship in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The fund will make $500 grants available to all US restaurant industry workers impacted by the coronavirus crisis — front-of-house, back-of-house, and delivery workers, including those who deliver via Uber Eats. This will provide great relief to restaurant workers throughout Florida and the nation.

To learn more about what Uber is doing to save the restaurant industry and how you can become a partner, visit their website.To apply for aid through the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund or learn more, click here.

Best Practices for Curbside, Delivery and Upping Sales to Help You Survive in the Covid-19 Environment

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Compiled by Susie McKinley

In order to #flattenthecurve and protect citizens and guests from highly contagious and deadly Covid-19, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has closed down dining rooms in restaurants across the state to minimize exposure.  Today in order to survive and feed customers, restaurants have moved to curbside pickup, delivery and drive-thru for food service.  The FRLA team has attended several webinars and read many articles recently about enhancing your curbside, delivery and drive-thru presence.  The following is a compilation of what we’ve learned.

There are two ways to approach delivery:  either do it yourself in-house or work with a delivery partner.  If you choose to do it yourself, be certain to work with your insurance provider to ensure that coverage is adequate.  If you decide to deliver in-house, there is the added bonus of potentially keeping extra folks on staff to assist with this.

Many delivery programs are now offering custom contactless delivery in that the customer pays in advance and advises the delivery person where to drop the food.  This can provide some measure of comfort to the customer when not having to interact with a delivery person.

Alex Canter from Ordermark, an online ordering management solution, recommends to restaurants to “omni-channel” with delivery services if using a third-party delivery option in order to cover all of your bases.  If you aren’t listed with a delivery company, customers loyal to that delivery company won’t find you.

Online ordering is a must in this environment.  Be certain that your restaurant has the capability and an effective system to follow up with online orders.

Delivery and curbside pickup can be made easy.  Establish a protocol for staff taking orders that includes basic information such as address and contact number, where to actually deliver food once onsite, food and drink order of course, and if utensils/napkins will be needed.  Ask the customer if they would like a gift card as well.  Customize the protocol as needed for your restaurant and be sure to thank the customer for the order.  We’ve heard that a short note included with the order expressing gratitude for the order is welcome and easy. Insert a menu flyer with the order to encourage next time ordering. Be certain the food is maintained at the correct temperature:  if hot food, keep it hot and if cold food, keep it cold.  Use travel bags that allow for heat and cold retention.  Advise employees to keep their “social distance” when delivering food to make sure the customer and the driver are comfortable. Process the payment information in advance to resolve any payment issues onsite.  Make it as simple and easy as possible for the customer.

Curbside is something that is very popular, but it has not been utilized as much as other food service.  Many of the practices noted above can be used in this approach.  In addition, when taking the order for curbside, require employees to ask the customer where they would like the food placed into the vehicle upon arrival.  Some folks may want it dropped in the trunk of the car.  Others may want it in the front or back seat.  It’s important to give the customer a choice, so that if they don’t want any physical interaction with the restaurant, they don’t have to engage in that manner.  Again, it is important whenever possible, to process payment in advance in order to minimize exposure.

Menu
Think about narrowing your menu to the most popular dishes and then what travels the best.  Other things to think about are:  what menu items use less staff and equipment to prepare?  Do offer a daily special if you can.  This gives some variety and interest to your menu and gives the operator a chance to use what is readily available.

 

Large Format Food Items
With so many people at home with family, consider preparing some menu items in a larger format than what you’ve done in the past.  Food items serving larger crowds may be enjoyed by a group or as leftovers.

 

Frozen Food
Frozen food is another way to serve your customers.  Offer food items that hold up well to freezing as an option.

 

Gift cards
Perhaps offer a gift card with a minimum threshold level and give extra credit on top for redemption in the future.  This is also known as gift card bonds.

 

Specials
Show your appreciation to health care professionals or first responders by giving them a discount on a specialized menu item or on the whole order.  You will receive some goodwill from this effort and will help those who are helping us.

 

Apps
Can be very useful in ordering and in pre-payment. Encourage use whenever possible.

 

Marketing
Customers are looking for deals, options and offerings now more than ever.  Be sure that your restaurant is visible in an online search.  If possible, improve your SEO if needed.  Frequently engage socially to let followers know what is going on.  A daily email to your loyal customers might be something they are looking for.

Susie McKinley is Editor of FR&L Magazine and a former Director of the Division of Hotels and Restaurants.  Susie sat in on several webinars recently and has compiled information learned in webinars in this article.

Restaurants Stay Open During COVID-19: A Great Win For The Industry

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On March 20, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-71, where he announced that restaurants will move to take-out and delivery only in response to the evolving COVID-19 impact across the state. In his Executive Order, the Governor also lifted the ban on alcohol delivery for restaurants under certain conditions.

Allowing restaurants to remain open is a great win for the industry among the COVID-19 pandemic. It is vital for restaurants and hotels to remain safe and practice sanitation and social distancing during this time. Governor DeSantis has expressed his support to retailers, restaurants, and employees as they pursue creative business practices that safely serve consumers during this temporary period of social distancing.

In addition to allowing restaurants to offer to-go and delivery service, the ban on alcohol delivery has also been lifted. Restaurants are now allowed to sell alcohol in sealed containers to be consumed off of the premises of the restaurant, so long as it is accompanied by the sale of food and complies with Section 561.57 of Florida Statues.

For more information and industry-related COVID-19 updates, please visit https://frla.org/covid-19.

Do You Love Your Point of Sale?

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With Valentine’s Day approaching, love is in the air. But if you’re not in love with your point of sale (POS) because it’s unreliable and hard to deal with, it’s time for a change. Breaking up with your POS doesn’t have to be messy. Look for these telltale signs that you and your POS are no longer compatible.

Your POS isn’t cloud-based

If your POS system isn’t operating in real time, you’ve lost the ability to see an immediate and complete picture of what’s happening at your business, what isn’t happening, and what absolutely needs to happen in terms of day-to-day operations. For example, a traditional POS requires you to run reports from an in-store terminal, so your ability to make data-driven business decisions is limited to when you’re at a business location. Having real-time sales and inventory information in the palm of your hand wherever you are is a game changer. That immediacy can only be provided by a POS system connected to the cloud. To stay competitive, moving to the cloud-based POS becomes a necessity, not a luxury.

Your POS isn’t user-friendly

Does your staff hate using your POS when it comes to voids, refunds, split payments, modifiers, and last-minute changes to order details? If your staff has bad user experiences on your POS, chances are your guests have too. A well-designed POS increases staff productivity. For example, it is far quicker for a staff member to punch an order into an iPad and send it directly to the kitchen or bar than to write it down.

Your POS system doesn’t accept all payment options

If your POS isn’t keeping up with all of the rapidly expanding ways customers want to pay, you’re missing out on sales. Payment technology is evolving at leaps and bounds: EMV chip cards, Apple Pay. Google Pay, Samsung Pay and more. Supporting the methods guests prefer to pay is fundamental to your ability to serve them, including digital wallet, pay-at-the-table and pay by guest app options. Your POS should serve that expectation, too.

Your POS makes data vulnerable to attack

Data attacks on POS systems in hotels, restaurants, and foodservices are notoriously common. To protect you and your customers, your POS must have the latest security measures. An investment in a cloud-based POS system that is PA-DSS compliant, and partnering with payment partners who support these strict standards, helps you avoid data breaches. In turn, this helps you avoid the costs associated with attacks, which are significant.

Your POS system is unreliable

Outages and hardware issues can occur at the worst possible moment. The question is: How do these circumstances affect your POS? Can you continue to serve guests during an outage? If not, this is yet another sign that your POS needs to be replaced. Modern POS technology provides performance that legacy systems can’t match. They’re designed to perform flawlessly (99.999%), and you can continue taking orders and payments even if the internet goes down.

Your POS system doesn’t meet guest expectations

Flexibility is key to a great guest experience. If your POS doesn’t connect easily with loyalty programs, self-serve kiosks, and provide electronic receipts, it’s not connecting with how your guests want to interact with your business. For instance, your POS should allow guests to be served and billed right where they are. It should integrate with loyalty apps, and split a bill between customers and various modes of payment. If your POS solution is letting you down in these areas, it’s time to say goodbye.

Your POS isn’t supported by the right partner

Have you had issues or questions which required you to contact your POS provider? Did that partner immediately resolve these issues, or did a delay cost you sales? As the most critical tool in your store, any questions about your POS system should be answered promptly in person, via phone, chat, email and a 24/7/365 support center. You should never have to go it alone.

 

About Heartland
Heartland provides entrepreneurs with software-driven technology to manage and grow their business. The company serves more than 400,000 merchants nationwide, delivering trusted solutions for payment, payroll and human resources, point of sale, customer engagement and lending. Heartland is a leading industry advocate of transparency, merchant rights and security. Heartland is a Global Payments Company (NYSE: GPN), a Fortune 500 Company. Learn more at heartland.us.

Meet our January Member of the Month

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Meet Laurie Farlow, our January 2020 Member of the Month! Laurie is the proud owner and operator of Farlow’s on the Water, located in Englewood, Florida, which she runs with her husband Keith.

Her career in the restaurant industry began in 2003, when she and Keith opened Farlow’s. The 285-seat restaurant serves food with a Caribbean taste and Southern twist. Before opening Farlow’s, Laurie had zero restaurant experience but plenty of supervisory and management service. It was actually Keith who had the experience and passion for food service. With their combined experiences, Laurie and Keith make the perfect team for operating Farlow’s.

Laurie’s favorite part about working in the restaurant industry is meeting people (customers, employees and other trade professionals). To her, customer service is about connecting with people.

Thank you, Laurie, for being a wonderful FRLA member. We are proud to honor you as our January Member of the Month.

If you haven’t already, watch Laurie’s highlight video below:

Make 2020 a Breakout Year!

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January means new opportunities to do new things. If increased business success is at the top of your 2020 bucket list, take these five steps to make that wish come true. They will amp-up business to create a more prosperous New Year.

1. Create a website

If you’re part of the third of small businesses that still don’t have a website, make this the year you add one. Your customers expect it. They need to be able to find you. Thirty percent of consumers won’t even consider a business without a website. With a website, you’re reaching people even when you’re asleep and selling products all the time — not simply between your brick and mortar hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Without a website, the chances of showing up on the search engine results are zero. But if you have a site, you can optimize it for search engines and increase your chances of appearing at the top of Google’s results. Why is that important? A vast majority of customers use their smartphones and tablets to decide where to go and what to buy. If you don’t have a visible website, customers simply go elsewhere.

2. Be Social

Have you been putting off getting your business on social media? With more than three billion people using social media, you can’t afford not to be social any longer. Make 2020 the year you join the crowd. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube are perfect digital spaces to showcase your business, products and promotions. Plugging into social media gives you new ways to connect with your customers, hear what they want you to offer more of, and promote your website.

3. Get Mobile-Friendly

Is your website mobile friendly? Most visitors to your web page are reaching it through a smartphone or tablet these days. Make it part of your e-commerce strategy this year to optimize your website for small screens. After all, no one wants to squint to read a website or scroll ten times to find your phone number.

4. Find Your Marketing Voice

If you’re using the same marketing strategy year over year and getting mixed results, it’s time to change things up. Your business can’t be everything for everyone. Instead of casting a wide net, use sales records from your in-store POS, mobile app and online store to define exactly who your target customers are. Once you’ve zeroed in, make sure to use email marketing to reach out to customers about upcoming promotions. Seventy-two percent of consumers say email is their favorite method of communication with companies they do business with, and 61 percent like to receive promotional emails every week from businesses.

5. Fine Tune Your Customer Service

Every year, you should be looking at all of your customer touch points – from the counter to curb to doorstep and online – to ensure you’re providing gold-star customer service experiences. Seven out of ten consumers spend more with companies that provide excellent customer service. And if that isn’t reason enough, consider that it’s five times more expensive to acquire new customers than to retain existing ones. Adopt these five resolutions and you’ll get your business off on the right foot by helping more customers discover you throughout the New Year.

 

About Heartland

Heartland provides entrepreneurs with software-driven technology to manage and grow their business. The company serves more than 400,000 merchants nationwide, delivering trusted solutions for payment, payroll and human resources, point of sale, customer engagement and lending. Heartland is a leading industry advocate of transparency, merchant rights and security. Heartland is a Global Payments Company (NYSE: GPN), a Fortune 500 Company. Learn more at heartland.us.

Feeling Jolly About our December Member of the Month

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Get to know our December Member of the Month, Damien O’Riordan, General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota.

Damien attended the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology pursuing a degree in hospitality management nearly 25 years ago and immediately found his passion for the industry.

To Damien, Sarasota has so much to offer visitors and locals alike, and considers it the “best kept secret”. Boasting 35 miles of white-sand beaches, fabulous restaurants, and countless things to do, Sarasota is a tourist haven. Sarasota’s Ritz-Carlton boasts over 250 rooms, and offers wonderful amenities to help visitors explore this beach destination. However, Damien doesn’t take credit for the exemplary service offered here. He couldn’t do it without his hard-working staff.

Damien is a gift to FRLA, and a gift to The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. Be sure to check out his highlight to learn more about this awesome member!