THE JDK GROUP’s HEIGHTENED EFFORTS TO NAVIGATE THROUGH COVID-19
**This page will be refreshed periodically**
Last update: 07.24.20
The JDK Group’s Response to COVID-19 :
COMMITTED TO YOUR SAFETY
The health of all people we serve – you, your guests, our team members, professional partners, the community – will always remain our top priority. We have taken great care to heighten all areas of our already strict protocols in order to help you celebrate safely in person again! The following guidelines have been based on the information available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”), the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (“FDA”), and the Commonwealth of PA. As information and recommendations from these and other trusted public health agencies continue to change and evolve, our guidelines are subject to change and update accordingly.
COVID-READY EVENTS PROTOCOL
VISUALIZING YOUR COVID-READY CELEBRATION
We understand that you’ve been dreaming and imagining every detail of your upcoming celebration for quite some time. Given the current COVID-19 landscape with regards to social gatherings, it might be challenging for you to imagine how the look of your event might change. We are here to help paint the picture for you in what making your celebration “COVID-Ready” will look like. Below you will find updates you can expect to see at your upcoming celebration to keep you and your guests safe.
What you'll see
- The Commonwealth of PA has required that all guests wear masks/face coverings upon entry, exit, and while moving in the venue space. Masks can be removed while seated – talk to your Event Specialist about incorporating a mask station where guests arrive.
- An updated layout with 6 feet between tables will be provided and reviewed with you by your Event Specialist – layouts must meet venue capacity requirements from the Commonwealth of PA – most recent mandates prohibit indoor guest counts above 25 and outdoor guest counts above 250 – more room to keep your guests comfortable and not feel crowded!
- Bar setups will have a 6 foot divider providing proper social distancing measures from the bartender and your guests. Guests will be asked to stay 6 feet apart while in line.
- Any food station will be required to be staff or chef tendered.
- All passed food items will be required to be presented in their own vessel or served individually with tongs by a staff member.
- The Commonwealth of PA requires that all guests are permitted to eat/drink only while at a table.
- We will be asking all clients to sign a document acknowledging that they are aware of these changes.
- A COVID Safety and Sanitation fee will be applied to cover safety items for staff such as sanitizer, gloves, and sanitizing products in order to keep you and your guests safe.
What you won't see
- No communal items will be presented on tables. Individual items will be provided per guest such as creamer, salt + pepper, coffee fixings etc. – opportunity to personalize and stylize for detail shots!
- The Commonwealth of PA encourages to close or remove congregate areas that are non-essential to the to the preparation and service of food or beverages such as dance floors.
- All self-service food and beverage buffets/stations are not permitted until further notice.
- Team Members will not be as present at guest seating tables in order to minimize contact with guests – allows guests to enjoy more uninterrupted time with company and their delectable meal!
- Outside food items are not suggested to be at your event. JDK will not be permitted to setup or handle any outside food items from the client.
- Team Members will not be permitted to pick up or touch a guest’s personal items such as their mask or napkin if it drops.
NOTE about pre-scheduled in-person meetings / tastings
- New building procedures have been put into place with temperature checks upon entry. We will ask all clients and guests to follow these same protocols for any pre-scheduled in-person meetings or tastings.
- Our Team Members are still working remotely and limiting time in the office as much as possible. Please email or use the direct cell phone number of your Event Specialist to get in contact.
Additional Resources
If you need additional resources to prepare yourself against the spread of COVID-19, please refer to the online resources offered by the Center for Disease Control, World Health Organization, and Pennsylvania Department of Health. You can find those at these web addresses:
Industry Impact and LOCAL DEVASTATING EFFECTS
While businesses across the world are feeling the impact of this pandemic, few industries are bearing the brunt more than the events industry. With a workforce of nearly 6 million people, countless careers and lives have been completely upended by COVID-19.
Moreover, this devastating epidemic has gravely affected our talented teams at The JDK Group. We employ roughly 250+ people among our full-time and part-time teams whose livelihood depends on the revenue from our events. The threatening nature of this virus has required the CDC and government health organizations to place restrictions on events and gatherings of more than 10 people for the next 8 weeks to be postponed to later dates.
Unfortunately, we have had many events cancel due to this set of restrictions. When events cancel, we do not have the means to be able to support our team members.
Without the opportunity to host any events in the upcoming 8 weeks, we do not have any hours to provide our part-time team members and have had to temporarily lay-off these employees. These decisions have been some of the hardest we have had to face in our 32+ year history. The entire Executive Leadership Team has been tirelessly working on efforts in how to best navigate through these uncertain times and provide any and all support we can for our network of family.
SUPPORTING OUR NETWORK OF FAMILY
Some ways we are providing immediate relief to our teams during this crisis include the following:
- We are clearing out our freezers, refrigerators, and pantries to take inventory of all food in our commissary. We will be cooking off and preparing meals to provide directly to our team members in need.
- We are partnering with John Gross Co. to accept food donations from their organization to be able to prepare and divide out amongst our team members.
- In addition to providing food support, we are taking inventory of common household items that are in stock in our warehouse and offering these items to our team members and their families.
- After assessing the amount needed to support our team, our goal is to then partner with government approved purveyors to work on emergency relief services if permitted.
We recognize that we need your help, now more than ever, in order to financially support our people and their families with these unexpected circumstances. Carefully read the steps below to see how you can help these individuals and their families during a time that they really need it.
What can I do to help?
- For those who’ve booked an event with any business in our industry, please postpone instead of canceling your events! Your business is absolutely essential to our workforce, as it allows us to financially sustain the valuable people that make up our respective teams.
- Raise awareness. You can help us spread awareness of the struggle our industry is going through right now by carrying the message through to your social media accounts. Please direct others to this webpage and any associated efforts to help our industry. Use the hashtags, #SaveEvents and #SaveEventsPA to help us get the word out! Simply download the social graphic we’ve created for you to share on your social media accounts. Download here.
- Sign the petition to deliver a much-needed Federal Aid Package for the Events Industry. It takes less than 15 seconds and goes a long way in getting the aid needed across to Capitol Hill!
- Make a donation to those in need. We suggest making a donation to local food banks such as the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and other locations that are providing food service relief during this time.
MEDIA INQUIRIES
For any media related questions about the relief options our team is providing, please contact info@thejdkgroup.com.
EMERGENCY FOOD SERVICE
EMERGENCY FOOD SERVICE
Our teams have the capabilities and are prepared to offer disaster relief and support to those in need during this time of crisis. We have partnered with the American Red Cross in past disasters in providing food service relief to masses of people. Please contact us at info@thejdkgroup.com for any inquiries relating to emergency food service needs. You can also view a letter outlining our capabilities in offering high-volume food production services and emergency mobile kitchen operations through this state of emergency here.
JDK at home
making your days convenient, flavorful, and bright
To help service you during these unprecedented times, we have launched a new line of food service offerings for you and your families – JDK at HOME. From weekly prepared meals to go to pantry provision packages and fresh flowers – we are here for you to help make your quarantine days a bit more convenient, flavorful, and bright.
Quarantine doesn’t have to mean that you can’t still enjoy the gourmet food that you love! Our internationally-awarded JDK culinary professionals have carefully crafted restaurant-style dishes for you to enjoy in the safety and comfort of your own home. Each week we will update the menu items available for order. We’ve prepared options that are designed to feed a household of two-to-four for several meals as well as individual serving options. In order to keep your fridge and freezer stocked, all meals are able to be stored in your refrigerator for up to four days and can be stored in your freezer for up to three months.
Remote Venue Tours & Meetings are Still Available!
Still interested in touring one of our exclusive venues or planning an upcoming event? To respect the social distancing initiative in order to do our part in slowing down the spread of COVID-19, our team of Event Specialists is working remotely. We’re still offering comprehensive virtual tours at our exclusive venues, and can work with you to plan your future events!
We want to ensure that you can continue to plan the life events and celebrations that are important to you while we all weather this crisis.
Please email us at info@thejdkgroup.com for all event-related questions and virtual venue tour requests. For any new event inquiry, simply complete the form.
Please email to Contact Us
The majority of our team is working remotely. We ask that you please contact your Event Specialist through their mobile phone number or email. For any new event inquiry, please email us at info@thejdkgroup.com. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.
stronger together
Our hearts go out to all of the families, within the U.S. and abroad, who’ve been personally impacted due to this unfortunate virus. We are all in this together and with each other’s support, we will come out on the other side stronger. Please remain aware, safe, and thank you for all the support you provide to us at The JDK Group – it is our honor and privilege to serve you.
If you have questions about any of the information above and want to learn even more about ways you can help during this crisis, please feel free to contact any member of our Executive Leadership Team listed below:
Steve Sanchez, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer – ssanchez@thejdkgroup.com
Bob Kiehl, Chief Financial Officer – accounting@thejdkgroup.com
Erika Hegedus, Chief Hospitality Officer – erika@thejdkgroup.com
Jay Varga, Executive Chef – jvarga@thejdkgroup.com
Michelle Hare, Director of Marketing – mhare@thejdkgroup.com