7 Ways to Show Kindness to Your Local Restaurants

by Sarah Takallou

From “mom-and-pop” diners to massive chains, restaurants of all sizes are hurting due to the effects of COVID-19. While restaurants around the country begin to reopen, they are still recovering from the economic turmoil they faced during the complete indoor dining shutdown in March and May and continue to struggle financially while operating on limited capacity in the present day. Despite these challenges, there are a few ways and “little helps” that we, as the consumer, can help the restaurants within our own communities stay alive.

1. Tip, tip, tip!

Keep in mind that most of the servers at your favorite restaurants have been unemployed for the past few months while in door dining was put on pause in order to maintain social distancing orders. Today, they continue to make up for the lack of income that they lost during the in door dining shutdown. Next time you are signing the check, practice kindness towards your server and don't forget to tip.

1. Be mindful of time. 

While operating on limited capacity, restaurants can't afford to host customers that sit for hours ordering chips and water all night (yes, some people actually do this!). Be mindful that tables are now sparse to do limited capacity orders and restaurants cannot afford to lose revenue this way.

1. Be patient.

While it may be frustrating for you that your favorite restaurant may have a longer wait than usual due to limited capacity, know that it is especially stressful for the restaurant owners themselves. These restaurants would love to have you dine in, however sometimes cannot accommodate holding everyone due to limited capacity orders. Make reservations in advance and be patient with your host/hostess.

1. Order takeout, delivery, or curbside service.

While many restaurants may be operating at limited capacity, serving less people at a time on site, their kitchens continue to work hard in the back. Treat yourself right every now and then and order take out from your favorite local restaurants! Whether it's the pizza place down the street or the poke place you have been dying to try, support their business by ordering in. Keep in mind that restaurants prefer when you call them directly versus using a food delivery site such as Postmates or GrubHub due to the fees associated with them, taking a portion of their money from sales.

1. Buy merch.

Many restaurants must get creative when it comes to generating revenue based on a lack of income. Restaurants are now selling mugs, tshirts, baseball caps, and more swag to supplement their revenue. Represent and support your local restaurants by buying merch. Look great and feel better. 

1. Invest in gift cards.

You can either purchase these for yourself to use at a later time or exchange them amongst friends! Purchasing gift cards is a great opportunity to help local restaurants, sometimes without even leaving your home. These small acts of kindness translate into immediate revenue that can drastically help keep a restaurant in your community alive. 

1. Hop on Mayo!

Mayo is now in the process of working with restaurants to create a symbiotic relationship between businesses and their customers. Mayo’s goal, in this context, is to foster more genuine relationships between restaurants and their local community. Click here to subscribe to our quarterly newsletter to stay updated.

Here at Mayo, we believe kindness can be shown in all sorts of ways, big or small. We hope these seven tips can help you show kindness to your local restaurants. 

For a great resource of diverse, local businesses in your community visit https://intentionalist.com/

How to Use Mayo in your Residential Community

by Gabrielle Jamora

When hearing the term “community,” I immediately think of its broad scope and ambiguity when trying to understand what exactly defines a community. In reality, a community is whatever you decide it is. It can be your group of friends, people that you share common interests with, those in your same ethnic group, people in your field of work and in your industry, even people in your same geography. For example, those in your same apartment and residential buildings can be considered a community.

If I’m being honest, I never really considered those that lived in the same building as me as part of my community. Realistically besides my family, they are the closest community I have. Everyday, we walk the same hallways, pathways, open the same front doors, and call the same place home. We are surrounded by one another. I hear their footsteps from upstairs, hear the vibrations from their music across the hall, and hear their dogs barking outside when I open a window. 

We have this community– this group of people living in close proximity to one another. Why don’t we try to take advantage of this? Why can’t we say “hi” or lend a hand to our neighbors?

For example, you might need help or can help others with the following:

• I bought some extra supplies at the store, who wants some free hand sanitizer and masks?

• Did anyone lose their keys in the parking lot? I have them!

• I’m ordering some Uber Eats and need to buy more to get free delivery, anyone want anything?

• I’m locked out of the building, someone please let me in!

As a person who quite often accidentally locks themselves out of the building, it would would have helped me if there was a way to contact the people whose apartment is closest to the door to let me in. Instead I stood there by the front door, knocking and waiting for someone to let me inside. Eventually, someone opened the door for me and apologized that they couldn’t be there any sooner.You’ll be surprised by how many people are willing to lend a hand.

How do you access and alert those in your area and make use of those in your community? The Mayo app makes it easy. Mayo is a communication app that allows you to ask either ask for help or offer help to those in your area. 

Here’s how it works:

1. Download the Mayo app on the App Store or Google Play (no sign ups required!)

2. When you need a little help, post about it :)

3. If there is something you can offer to others, post it on there too!

4. Mayo will alert those around you of your post

5. Get helped/ help someone

Through these small acts, we can make the people around us happier. Who wouldn’t want that? We all need a little help sometime. Let’s try to make use of the community around us and spread kindness. The more people use Mayo, the more helpful it becomes. It’s easy to get your community on board with Mayo, since there’s no sign up required!

Now, when I use Mayo, I think of the community around me and how we can help each other. Mayo is spreading kindness in these areas around me!

Check out this map to see where Mayo is in your community. If it isn’t there, you can start!

Although you may have never considered the people living around you as a community, we can try to make the experience of living close to one another as best as possible, one interaction at a time.