Friends,
As you know, Homespun has been extremely proactive during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This could be the only time being a paranoid, hypochondriac has been an advantage in my life! We closed our lobby before restaurants were asked to do so. We enforced masks before mask mandates were issued. We implemented strict protocols to monitor the health of our crew, to ensure everyone’s safety. As businesses in Jacksonville and around us have lifted restrictions, we have continued to stay firm on our policies. To date, we have not opened our inside seating and have maintained a strict mask policy. We have given away thousands of masks during the pandemic and have fought very hard to enforce masking in the restaurant. My crew, like all of us, is exhausted. Most of you embraced these changes in the most beautiful way and we appreciate it so much. Unfortunately, due to a very loud few, my crew has had to fight daily to enforce protocols. Within the last 45 days, the volume of opposition against masks has risen to a point that demands change. It is clear, in our eyes, the general opinion on masks being mandatory in the restaurant has shifted.
At this point, the vaccine has been readily available for all who have wanted it. As a company, we have encouraged our team members to get vaccinated however we have not required it. To date, most of our crew has been vaccinated. For privacy reasons we will not be disclosing who has been vaccinated. To be clear, we are pro-vaccine. At the same time, we respect our team member’s freedom to choose. Our decisions moving forward are based on the fact that those who believe in the vaccine and want the protection it provides, have had time to acquire it.
Starting this weekend, we will be opening our lobby for inside seating and dropping our mask mandate. We are confident that now is the time and that we can do this safely.
I am proud of how hard our crew worked before the pandemic and am even more proud of how our team embraced the challenges of running a restaurant during a global pandemic. This has been a long year.
I know that some of you reading this will be uncomfortable with these changes. Please know that we will still be offering online ordering, delivery, and in-store pickup. If you are uncomfortable coming in our store now that we are not enforcing masks, we will be happy to bring your food to your car, behind the store. Please call us when you arrive and be patient with us, we are extremely busy and will do our best to bring your food as quickly as possible.
Finally, we want to thank you all for your incredible support this last year and over the years. 2020 was another record year for Homespun even with the pandemic. We feel so blessed. This community has been an incredible place to grow a business and we continue to be honored for the opportunity to serve you. To those of you who have lost loved ones and suffered during the pandemic our hearts and thoughts go out to you. We are in this together and while it is not over yet, we are here with you as we move forward. Please contact us with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Aaron Levine
Founder + CEO
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