If you are wondering how to help the restaurant community, take a quick look at these seven items.  Any single of these will help.  Do one or more and you will be contributing in a real way that will make a difference.  Post, share, pass it along.  We can, working together, help restaurants weather this event. 

Tell Congress How Much This Matters

Everyone should reach out to their Senators and Congressman regarding the current plight of the restaurant industry. The National Restaurant Association reports that as of today, Americans have sent 250,000 emails to lawmakers pleading for help for their local restaurants. Click this link to add your voice to those demanding that Congress pass resolutions to save jobs and provide aid for restaurant workers.

Order Food Tomorrow – Tuesday, March 24 

A coalition of restaurants has come together to back a new campaign called “The Great American Takeout” that is set for tomorrow. This is a great way we can all pitch in and help the struggling restaurant industry. Spread the word and post on Social Media using the hashtag #thegreatamericantakeout. Order takeout tomorrow (and once per day if possible) to help your fellow restaurant workers.

Order One for You and One for a First Responder

Our first responders and hospital workers are on the front lines in this battle. Order something for yourself and ask your restaurant to send one to the medical staff at a nearby hospital or to the paramedics at a nearby fire station. They need the sustenance and our restaurants need the business.

Buy a Restaurant Gift Card Direct from the Restaurant, Not Online

Buying gift cards is a great way to support local restaurants. By buying them directly from nearby establishments, you can be sure your money is supporting your local eatery and not a corporate entity or third-party marketing firm.

Make sure Restaurant Owners Know about Available Relief

There are loans available now at https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance. Restaurant owners are proud, hard-working Americans who may be hesitant to ask for help. Encourage every restaurant owner and worker you know to take a helping hand today. Don’t let them wait until it is too late to act.

Send them to us. We’ll help however possible.

If a restaurant owner needs someone to consult on cutting expenses, negotiating rent reductions, deferring SBA loan payments or anything else, send them our way. We’re standing by with open arms for anyone who reaches out. We’re continuing to negotiate deals with landlords and lenders at no charge while we fight the good fight one day at a time.

Use the Hashtag #SaveRestaurants

Raise the social media profile of this crisis and make sure people understand the impact the restaurant industry has on the overall economy. For perspective, the Restaurant Industry in the United States is larger than 90% of the world’s economies and employs 15.6 million people. 9 in 10 restaurants have less than 50 employees. They are the quintessential representation of small business in America as realized through the American Dream.

Spread the word.  You can help the restaurant community now.

Robin Gagnon, Certified Restaurant Broker®, MBA, CBI, CFE is the co-founder of We Sell Restaurants and industry expert in restaurant sales and valuation. Named by Nation’s Restaurant News as one of the “Most Influential Suppliers and Vendors” to the restaurant industry, her articles and expertise appear nationwide in QSR Magazine, Franchising World, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, and BizBuySell. She is the co-author of Appetite for Acquisition, an award-winning book on buying restaurants