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Restaurants offering creative promos to drive traffic during social distancing

Whether its slashing delivery fees, offering funny promotions or expanding services to include grocery delivery, fast casual brands are finding ways to survive sales losses triggered by social distancing.

Provided

March 20, 2020 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Adaption is the key to survival in any situation, and restaurants around the United States are doing just that in the face of COVID-19. Whether its slashing delivery fees, offering funny promotions or expanding services to include grocery delivery, fast casual brands are finding ways to survive sales losses triggered by social distancing.

Fruitive, a vegan five-unit chain based in Washington D.C., for example, is offering take-home meal kits along with curbside pickup, delivery and takeout services. Also, for the next 30 days, the brand will post one of its recipes online daily and is delivering grocery items.

"These are challenging times for many, and it can be even more difficult for those confined to their homes," Gregg Rozeboom, founder and CEO of Fruitive, said in a company press release "We want to provide access to nutritious, filling meals and household staples for as many of our neighbors as possible, and I'm so grateful for Fruitive team pulling together to make this happen."

FUSIAN Grocery can HELP!! Restaurants have access to excess food supply! please visit https://t.co/qKVur6j1HA to learn more https://t.co/nXwrVYcOAg

— FUSIAN (@eatfusian) March 20, 2020

Customers can pick up the meal kits from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Saturday at the chain's CityCenter location in Washington D.C. and Hilltop location in Virginia Beach.

The vegan meal kits, which can be found on the company's website, are available in both individual and family sized portions starting at $19. Offerings include Mediterranean bowls, veggie wraps and sesame ginger soup as well as "staple items," such as beans, oats and toiletries.

Cincinnati-based Fusian is also offering a variety of pick-up and delivery options to help feed guests in response to COVID-19.

Options include $1 delivery through the app, free delivery on Fridays, $1 peanut butter and jelly rolls, an expanded menu, family style take-home, meal kits. The chain is also donating a meal to a child in need when customers buy a $50 gift card, according to its website.

Each family-style kit contains four servings and includes cooked rice, produce to cook at home, sauces, seasonings and toppings. Guests may select from Thai peanut tofu stir fry, chicken teriyaki stir fry or tuna poke.

The sushi chain has also launched online produce delivery. Options include:

• Avocado ($1.74)
• 1 pound of uncooked Nishiki white rice ($1.98)
• 1 pound of uncooked Nishiki browm rice ($2.48)
• A cucumber ($1.88)
• Red pepper ($1.51)
• Yellow pepper ($1.73)
• Red onion ($1.24)
• Six scallions ($2)
• A whole pineapple ($4.40)
• 1 pound of asparagus ($2)
• Red beet ($1)
• Extra-firm tofu ($2.92)
• A half-pint of blueberries ($4.98)
• 1 pound of Yukon gold potatoes ($.98)

Other restaurants hoping to stay in business by offering creative services are below.

Ike's Love & Sandwiches
Ike's Love & Sandwiches, based in Arizona, is offering free delivery across its 75 units when customers order through its app, according to the company.

Dog Haus
LA-based Dog Haus is opening their pantries to provide some essential ingredients that guests can purchase and prepare at home. The Dog Haus Market is selling gourmet hot dogs, burgers, sausages, Kings Hawaiian rolls and tater tots. 

"Some of these foods are nearly impossible to find in a local grocery store, especially as stock is low," according to the company. "This is a great opportunity for home chefs to source Dog Haus' high-quality ingredients for their own recipes."

The fast casual has more than 30 brick-and-mortar locations nationwide and another 20-plus in development.

Bareburger
Bareburger's corporate team has left the office and is working in the restaurants to help the company serve customers amid COVID-19.  Based in Long Island, New York, with 38 units across the country, the chain is offering contactless delivery options through Bareburger.com as well as a variety of discounts. They include.

• $59 Family Specials: mix and match four entrees, two shares, one dessert and four Sauces.
• $12 burger/sandwich combos with fries. 
• BOGO Cubby Meals (kids meals).
• 50% off beer, wine, and wandering barman cocktails.
• 50% off to all hospital workers.

The chain will also provide $300 in Bareburger food to any employee that it must let go.

PizzaRev
PizzaRev said it's giving customers 30% off all online orders until further notice. The chain has nearly 35 units and is based in California.

DiBella's Subs
DiBella's Subs, a Rochester, New York-based company with 44 locations in NY, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Michigan, has launched a community support that includes cutting prices in half for first responders, healthcare workers and active military. It's also donating 50% of all regular sales including catering orders to community food banks, and waiving delivery fees for all orders of $15 and more placed through DiBellas.com.

"Our primary goals are to do all that we can right now for our communities, for our employees, and those who need us the most who are working hard to keep us all safe," said Peter Fox, president of DiBella's Subs, said in a company press release. "We have to band together and take care of each other. We may not have profitable sales with these initiatives, but it will help us to continue to do as much as we can to employ our team so they can come to work every day and also have the satisfaction of helping others."

Muscle Maker Grill
Muscle Maker Grill & Healthy Joe's are offering free immunity boosters with all smoothie and shake purchases throughout the remainder of cold and flu season to boost morale, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is also focusing on its delivery efforts and capacity to ensure Americans continue to be able to order fresh healthy food for their families at home while practicing social distancing, according to a company press release.

The immunity booster, made by SWIIG, is made without GMO ingredients, added sugar, artificial flavors or sweeteners and contains no gluten or preservatives. Each serving contains 15 essential vitamins and minerals to support a healthy immune system. Adding one scoop to an MMG smoothie or shake provides a full dose of daily vitamins and nutrients.

"We know people are on high alert due to concerns about COVID-19," CEO Mike Roper said. "Our guests have been impacted in one way or another and we wanted to let them know that we care about their health. Whether they're looking for a healthy snack, meal replacement or just in need of an immunity pick me up, Muscle Maker Grill is here to help! Now guests can craft their favorite smoothie or shake and add in our free nutrient-dense immunity booster to help them power through their day."

About Cherryh Cansler

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Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

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