March 16, 2020
To all Forward employees,
As you know, the Governor’s office announced this morning that dine-in service at all Michigan bars and restaurants had to conclude by 3 p.m. today through Monday, March 30. In response to this announcement, Forward is taking the following actions:
- All Subway locations will remain open for carry-out and drive thru. Signs have been sent out to all locations informing patrons of the suspension of dine-in service and guests are being encouraged to utilize the Subway app to order ahead when possible. Locations that offer Uber Eats and Grub Hub will continue to do so. We will monitor business at all Subway locations and may make adjustments, accordingly. Per the governor’s executive order, restaurants may allow five people inside at a time to pick up orders as long as they stay six feet apart from each other. As of now, this means customers are allowed to come in and order while they wait, like normal. They just would not be allowed to stay and eat.
- The LumberJack suspended all operations effective 3 p.m. today. This was a difficult decision, but the prevalence of other fast food options in the area and an already-limited takeout business would make trying to implement a comprehensive take-out service prohibitive. The majority of employees will be placed on lay off. This afternoon, the governor announced an expansion of unemployment benefits for Michigan workers and each person laid off today due to the governor’s directive will be receiving an email from HR tomorrow with details on how to file. The expanded benefits will also cover sick time and quarantine time, as well, for those who have or are caring for someone with the virus.
- C-Store operations will continue to operate normally for the time being. This situation is fluid, though, so keep an eye out for any additional correspondence.
- We have set up a page on our Web site, ForwardCorp.com/coronavirus that will house all relevant updates and postings. We will keep it updated so all correspondence can be found in one place.
This is an extremely challenging and unprecedented time for all of us. My heart goes out to all employees who will be out of work and we will do everything we can to get you back here as quickly as possible.
Sincerely,
Abby Moniz
President, Forward Corp