Frank Andreoli Montreal based businessman was as shocked as the rest of us when the city was put into lockdown and in those early days there was a great deal of worry as to how he would be able to continue operations with his Italian restaurant. To those of you who are not from Montreal, Frank is one of the owners of the best Italian restaurants in the city and in those early days there was a great amount of panic as to how he could pay his employees, how the money would keep coming in, and what he was going to do with all of that food in the fridge. 

There have been some during this time who have made the right moves to survive and Frank is certainly one of them, here is how he managed things. 

Selling Wholesale 

Given that it looked as though the employees were going to be looked after by the government the next most pressing thing was how to get rid of all the stuff in the fridge. Whilst Frank was allowed into the restaurant they were not allowed to operate and cook at first, and so he quickly got word out on social media that he would be selling the fresh pasta which had been made and any other goods which were perishable. Everything went and that ensured that he didn’t lose any money at all during this time. 

Supporting 

A masterstroke which he made once they were allowed to cook again was to instead of charging full price or more to compensate for the money that the restaurant was losing, he instead offered half price food for healthcare workers and ran an honesty policy for those who were struggling. We don’t know exactly what price that food went for, or whether he even charged, but many in the community have spoken glowingly about how the restaurant supported them when they had nothing. 

Contacting Staff 

Something else which the restaurant did during this time was to stay in touch with staff, making sure that they were alright and whether or not they needed any help and support. Once again the restaurant showed its true colors with regards to how it supports its community. 

Customer Gratitude

Usually the restaurant has an active social media page but it generally shares offers and the like rather than opinions or hand written content. During the lockdown however their social media account was alive with opinions and updates, as well as sharing what the restaurant was doing with regards to new regulations. They used the social media page to thank customers for their ongoing support and through their channels they really did build that little community spirit around them. 

Frank and his team have shown exactly how to manage a crisis, they may have lost some takings as a result but the good work that they have been doing will certainly be repaid in the future thanks to their boosted reputation here in the city.