Health, Safety & Public Trust: Our Commitment to Our Guests, Our People & Our Communities

We’re doing everything we can at Founding Farmers to ensure the utmost safety for our guests and our team as we continue to provide food and provisions for our communities during COVID-19. As an independent, farmer-owned company, we are grateful for your support and loyalty.

OUR OPERATIONS & KITCHENS 

• We are monitoring and following recommendations from the CDC, WHO, and our local health departments and government agencies.
• Our full-time health, safety & sanitation professional works with team members in English and Spanish across all of our restaurants reinforcing and refining all of our company protocols.
• We require our employees sign our internal safety and health protocol outlining social distancing regulations, health & wellness protocols, and maintaining our continued commitment to vigilance, as directed by the CDC.
• Proper & frequent handwashing protocols are in place.
• Company-wide mandatory checklist and schedule for cleaning and disinfecting of high touch point surfaces and instruments, using an EPA-certified disinfectant against corona viruses.
• Consistent use of Personal Protective Equipment, i.e.: face masks, eyewear & gloves.
• Installation of Operational Protective Equipment, i.e.: plexi-glass barriers, 6 ft markers, and signage asking guests and delivery drivers not to enter our restaurants.
• Virus-Killing, Food-Safe Fogging Agents used in our facilities.
• Only employees are allowed in our restaurants, except pre-screened delivery personnel from approved vendors who are complying with our safety protocols.
• Proactive Basic Health Screening of everyone prior to their shift, which includes taking temperature, asking about any symptoms, and recording the information. Anyone with a fever or displaying any symptoms of illness will be immediately sent home with paid sick leave until they are either symptom-free or cleared by their doctor.
• All rehires and new hires get health re-screening and comprehensive bilingual training on enhanced safety protocols and are tested for their understanding.

Co-Owner, Dan Simons answers a series of community questions about our health and safety practices as we continue to operate during COVID-19 on YouTube video HERE.

OUR SOURCES 

• We continue to receive products from our farmers and suppliers that we know & trust.
• We are working hand-in-hand with our suppliers and their delivery drivers to ensure strict adherence to recommended COVID-19 prevention practices.
• All of our ingredients are fully traceable.

OUR CURBSIDE PICK UP & DELIVERY

• We have built a digital system for curbside pick up and delivery that is contact-free from start to finish.
• Strict social distancing during curbside pick up and delivery.
• Tamper-proof seals on all to go bags & packages.
• Personal Protective Equipment, i.e.: masks for all curbside pick up and delivery teams; and gloves for all curbside pick up and delivery teams – to be changed after every guest.
• Operational Protective Equipment, i.e.: plexi-glass barriers, 6 ft markers, and directional guest signage asking guests and delivery drivers not to enter our restaurants.
• Handling our own deliveries, whenever possible and continuing to work with reputable delivery sources. No external delivery drivers are allowed in our restaurants.

OUR PEOPLE 

• Continued training on evolving best practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
• We employ a full-time HR professional to proactively ensure a healthy workplace and to assist with remediation should an employee get ill.
• Healthcare premiums paid 100% for salaried staff for at least 60 days.
• Paid sick leave for all employees.
• We monitor the waiting period for any employee illness and continually evaluate their health and readiness to return to the workplace.
• Guidance on unemployment and other resources for any staff that was laid off.
• As of May 4th, we have rehired 275 of our laid-off employees to work for our restaurants and our Founding Farmers Market & Grocery now in operation at five of our locations.
• Continued support & resources for mental wellness and morale.
• Free shift meals for working teams and free family meals on days off.
• We have developed a grant application program for our laid-off employees to help those who apply with medical expenses and food support
• Free family meals every day for our laid-off employees. We have served over 8,700 meals to our employees as of May 4th.
• We are collecting money to support and protect all of our employees. You can make a donation to our Employee Relief Fund to help us continue to provide free daily meals for everyone we have temporarily laid off and help pay for our health insurance premiums.

OUR COMMUNITIES 

• Following a WHO recipe, we are now producing Founding Spirits Hand Sanitizer for our guests and for local hospitals & first responders.
• 50% off our restaurant menus for first responders.
• 50% off our restaurant menus for all of our current and laid-off employees.
• Ongoing food donation program to ensure our communities are supported and no food gets wasted, but instead gets to those in need.
• Meal deliveries to local hospitals and first responders, such as: Sibley, Children’s National, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, George Washington University Hospital, DC Fire & EMS, and the U.S. Capitol Police.
• We are one of a select group of locally owned restaurants supporting Feed the Fight for nearby healthcare workers.
• With flour donated through our North Dakota farmers and former Senator Heidi Heitkamp, we are making and donating 200 loaves of bread to DC Central Kitchen.

Last updated: May 9, 2020