Richmond Restaurants United

A grassroots response to the COVID-19 crisis by restaurant owners and operators in Richmond, VA

https://player.vimeo.com/video/399167642
A film by @jordanrodericks + @davidmuessig @spangtv @overcoastmusic

An open letter to Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney

Richmond Restaurants United is calling on Mayor Stoney to provide a clear path to reopening restaurants in the City.  We are asking for an explicit description of what data will be considered in reopening and how the city plans to interpret it, along with clear guidelines and expectations for each phase of reopening. Richmond restaurants have been living week-to-week for more than two months. What we need is a real, workable plan.  

We are asking Mayor Stoney:  

  1. To clarify what data is being used, how long it will take to interpret that data, and what criteria will enable each phase of reopening
  2. To give Richmond food and beverage operators a seat at the table to develop Richmond-specific reopening measures and initiatives.
  3. To seek public release of Phase 2, 3 or subsequent Phase guidelines immediately, and to provide timely communication of Richmond-specific guidelines throughout all phases of reopening.
Read the full letter

How to Help

#1: Donate money to a relief fund for restaurant workers

Donate to the richmond restaurant workers support fund

#2. Donate your services or expertise. Are you a designer? Lawyer? Accountant? Real estate professional? Especially if you are local to Richmond, VA and want to help our city’s workers or operators, contact us and we will spread your message.

Donate your time or services

#3. Support your favorite establishments. Everyone is trying to navigate this thing in different ways. Follow the social media pages of your neighbors who own/operate/work at restaurants and look out for them. Also, keepcalmandnomnom.com is a Richmond-area listing of Restaurants promoting gift card sales.

Karri Peifer is keeping a list of restaurants open for takeout and delivery regularly updated over at Richmond.com

#4. Empathize. Restaurants are not just getting hit hard by the pandemic; let’s face it, everyone is getting hit hard. But, what is happening to restaurants and restaurant workers now will trickle down to other industries. Now is the time to advocate swift, decisive action by every level of government.

REad More

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32 replies on “Richmond Restaurants United”

I’m sure this suggestion has been brought forth but if you are not on the door Dash platform or ubereats you may be able to get on there on the Fly if that helps also I think they’re offering commission free during this crisis, it would also help me out just a thought, it might also allow you to rotate some employees

As far as “#3. Support your favorite establishments.” we’re trying to support restaurants by ordering take-out a couple times a week; can you guys complie a list fo local restaurants still avalible for take-out to make this easier/more navigable for the community?

A friend in the restaurant industry in Ann Arbor told me that they have a Venmo account that people can “tip” to whenever they open a drink or cook at home. These funds are then put into the gofundme.

Is there already something set up like this? It would make it very easy to donate steadily to the relief fund in a habitual manner.

You all need to make a coordinated effort to get Henrico county to eliminate the meals tax during these tough times for the tens of thousands who have lost jobs and more job losses in the near future.
Retirement savings are markedly diminished for the elderly who are living off their savings.
As Governor Northam said, we are in a state of a biological war. Meals are essential and we can’t be imposing meals taxes in such times.

Hi Dishant, meals tax abatement/freeeze is definitely one of the things a group of us has been lobbying for. With that being said, this group is primarily focused on the city of Richmond. We have shared the idea with state officials, and the response is basically that they are aware of the proposal and are working to come up with a comprehensive plan as soon as possible.

I’m the Creative Services Director for WRLH FOX Richmond. Is it ok if we provide a link to this site on our website?

It is way past time to eliminate the Insane meals tax burdening Patrons & Restaurants in the city. Alot of streets never got re-surfaced, furthermore it is not the Tax Payers & Small Businesses responsibility to carry the Load for the decades of neglect, corruption, and Projects that have Never come close to “Re-Vitalizing” Richmond but have Us here today without water , and Water bills over & $140.00 zwhile The B S needs to END with Here! There should also go into no Place a Mandatory Administration -Wide Policy > If you’re good enough to “Run” our City & be rewarded? The burden of Living & Having Children Attend RPS should be included in that Position & Enforced! If you don’t have any consequinces to the Broken Departments you are running? How will Any of them ever be fixed while you live in adjacent counties or have kids in Private schoools that are running with transparency, and Educating leaders. Richmond , and Everyone who lives here deserves the Potential has for Us!
No talk has ever done what Action has, and We need to take Action to Gut the sub-standard people & policies v another 3 hour yawn whine & cry during Public Comment Period purposefully scheduled to eliminate Public Comment.

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