The governor announced earlier this week that restaurants and bars could open for inside service in the Traverse City and Upper Peninsula pandemic regions of the state. Additionally, restrictions on gatherings were loosened as groups of 10 or fewer are now permitted. These updates bring about good news I’d like to share, along with several other updates.
- The Super 8 in Houghton Lake will open on Friday, May 29. With reduced restrictions, we believe travel to that area will pick up enough to warrant opening the hotel. We are pleased with business so far at the Quality Inn and hope to see similar demand in Houghton Lake as we head into June.
- Our Subway locations in Gaylord, Grayling, and Roscommon fall within the Traverse City region and are open for dine-in service effective today. There are a number of criteria restaurants must follow to open dining rooms, and our team worked hard throughout the week to ensure we complied with those guidelines. We are eager to see the consumer reaction to dine-in service, and are confident the measures we’ve put in place will keep our customers and employees safe. In the meantime, the remainder of our Subways remain open for take-out, drive-thru, and delivery only.
- The opening of the West Branch Wal-Mart Subway (Unit 301) was originally planned for this week, but was delayed until next Wednesday, May 27. As I mentioned in my last letter, we have seven Subways still offline that we will continue to evaluate. The LumberJack Restaurant will remain closed until the governor lifts dine-in restrictions for the Saginaw pandemic region, which is the region Ogemaw Co./The LumberJack resides in, per the state’s designation.
- Today’s safety reminder is about washing your hands. This should be done with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds. Be sure to pay careful attention to your nails and the areas between your fingers. And remember, if you are feeling ill – particularly if you have a fever of 100.4 or higher, shortness of breath, or a cough – contact your manager BEFORE coming to work.
In closing, I want to take a moment to send my best wishes to those impacted by the flooding this week. A global pandemic has been difficult enough, but a catastrophic flood has added unimaginable challenges for our communities. But we will continue to persevere, rebuild what was destroyed, and be grateful no flood-related deaths or injuries occurred.
Stay safe, stay healthy, and have a happy Memorial Weekend.
Abby Moniz
President, Forward Corp.