— By Thomas Holland — When you need disinfection and you need it fast, you have to be careful. As restaurants, retailers and other businesses reopen across the country, they are doing everything in their power to help keep employees and customers safe. Despite all their planning and preparation, however, when COVID-19 arrives on the scene, the initial reaction is often a frantic phone call to the first company that comes to mind, usually a local janitorial or restoration company. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous providers are gouging clients in …
Features
— By Fabio Vitali — Protecting your brand in a precarious time. As businesses open their doors following COVID-19-related closures, they face a range of new challenges. From sourcing essential supplies and meeting the increased demand for cleaning to adjusting building capacities and employee schedules, businesses will need to adapt to new standards while protecting their brand image. Three elements — hand hygiene, clean surfaces and environmental responsibility — can all support brand protection during a delicate reopening process, because they all reduce risk in some way. In Good …
— By Paul Bothner — Proper water heater selection impacts your restaurant’s bottom line. As the restaurant industry reopens its doors after the national shutdown, owners are even more focused on improving operating profits. One area of evaluation needs to be the generation of hot water, as it is among the largest — and, in some cases, the Number 1 — energy consumer of all installed appliances within hospitality facilities, particularly restaurants. For this reason, higher efficiency, condensing water heater designs comprise the majority of installations on new construction …
— By Elizabeth Orlieb — HVAC systems are no longer an afterthought post COVID-19 lockdown. Discussions on HVAC systems and maintenance best practices have become prominent amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With this development comes the recognition that HVAC in commercial buildings can no longer be an afterthought post COVID-19 lockdown, particularly as it relates to adhering to maintenance best practices and enhancing maintenance programs. Business owners, facility managers and maintenance personnel need to be aware and know the implications of the new recommended HVAC controls for COVID-19 mitigation. While …
— By John Manning — Owners and developers have great intentions when beginning construction projects, but sometimes life happens and those projects get delayed or even get stuck, coming to a screeching halt for unforeseeable reasons. In 2020 other outside challenges have made troubled projects more commonplace such as the economic impact of Coronavirus. If you find your construction project stalled, stuck or otherwise troubled, don’t let time go by idly. Begin what we call the triage process. A properly implemented triage process is key to a successful project …
— By Katie Lee — How Slim Chickens is not only surviving — but thriving — during COVID-19. During the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Slim Chickens was able to turn on a dime: transforming its parking lots into dining rooms, boosting digital channels, investing in marketing and operations, as well as new safety protocols, and continuing to sell franchise locations — tallying almost 50 new units so far this year. While the Fayetteville, Arkansas-based fast-casual brand had to scale back its original 2020 development plans to open 30 …
— By Justin Kissinger — Why scissor lifts rise to the top in safety. Whether young or old, short or tall, every employee has the right to be safe while performing tasks on the jobsite, and high-reach work in the construction industry is no exception. Proper ladder usage may seem like common sense, yet according to OSHA, falls remain the Number 1 cause of death in the construction industry. The good news? These falls are almost always preventable. But, it all starts with putting ladders in their place, and …
— By Beverly Raphael Altman — At RCC Associates, we are not strangers to adversity or challenges facing our industry. [EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was intended to run in May 2020 but was sidelined along with many other articles due to the onset of the coronavirus epidemic. We are running it for you here now, as a break from COVID-related material.] There is no shortage of challenges when it comes to being a leading commercial general contractor specializing in restaurant and retail construction. At RCC Associates, we …
— By Garry Wicka — Giving peace of mind in uncertain times, digital signage displays help inform each and every customer and employee of store rules and government guidelines. As retailers, restaurants and public-facing businesses of all kinds prepare to reopen amid ever-changing health guidance and local restrictions, the need to clearly communicate the latest health and safety information becomes absolutely vital for smooth operations and public support. For any type of business — from restaurants to boutique stores — one of the easiest and most non-invasive way to …
— By Mark Beeston — Why UV-C sanitizing solutions will save stores and restaurants as they reopen. COVID-19 has impacted every industry, especially restaurants and retail stores. In March, 44% of U.S. restaurants were temporarily closed and the sales rate for retail and food service declined 8.7%, the steepest since it began being tracked in 1992. Now, as lockdowns are eased throughout the country and businesses are allowed to reopen, companies are faced with a new normal that requires social distancing and constant cleaning in industries that are …