We are shortening our hours of operation. We will be open 10-5:30 Tuesday-Friday and 9-4 on Sat. We need to cut costs where we can, and we stayed open until 7 to facilitate people coming in after work. Since most people are working at home, these late hours are not necessary. If for some reason, you can’t come during our new hours, please email us at info@violettegf.com and we will try to accommodate you.
We contacted the Cambridge Health Dept to ask for advise on what is best way to keep everyone safe, our customers and our staff. We had some ideas of changes we wanted to make, but we wanted their input. When they came out today, first, they thanked us for staying open and staying ahead of the curve in terms of social distancing protocols. They said its really important that the public knows they can always get food. Second, they confirmed this is the new normal at least for the next 3-4 months. Thats why we wanted their input, because we wanted to implement changes for the longer haul.
We’ve decided to reorganize the bakery, pushing the cases of food closer to the windows so people can browse from outside. We will have checkout just inside the front door. This helps the staff to feel more secure and helps further social distancing because customers can keep their distance more easily on the side walk, and also, the air will dissipate germs (according to the Health Dept officials.) We asked if it will be frowned upon if there are 6-7 people outside and they said, No not at all. People can easily keep 4-6 feet away from each other, particularly now that its not busy on the streets. It is not that we don’t want to be inviting, its just necessary for now to balance the needs of helping my staff feel safe, while also helping our customers feel secure. Our space is small as you know.
We, of course, are still offering CurbSide pick up with at least 24 hour advance order and payment. The new arrangement at the store is for walk-ins and those who live in the neighborhood where curbside pick up makes no sense.
We will continue to offer everything including, specialty cakes, hot and cold drinks, and the ever popular ice cream sandwiches, and so on, its just that pick up will be at the door, and people will need to request savory items from our freezer as there will be no more coming inside to browse the freezer. But we plan to better label the freezer so you know exactly what is inside it! And you will be able to see inside it from the window. We hope to reorganize early tomorrow before we open.
Lastly, i just want to put in a pitch for people buying locally as much as possible. I know Amazon seems so inviting at the moment, but i read today that Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world, whose company pays no taxes, just asked the employees at WholeFoods to donate their leave time to employees who get sick with coronavirus!! Yes, what the heck?!!! The richest man in the world can’t pay extended sick leave for his own employees? That’s outrageous. Meanwhile, the employees at Trader Joes told me today that they all got letters from the owners stating that all the excess profits they’ve made from the public’s panic buying over the last few weeks will be used to give every single employee a big bonus check. They’ve pledged not to keep any of the excess profits themselves. They recognize, at least, that they wouldn’t have a business without their employees. If everyone shops Amazon, when this crisis is over, they will be the only place left to shop!
