NORFOLK, Va. — The local food service industry has taken a big hit during the pandemic, and that includes chain restaurants.
Jersey Mike’s Subs has 14 locations in Hampton Roads, and Mike Stemler oversees all of them.
“We knew it was going to be difficult,” said Stemler.
The chain has seen a 30 to 40 percent drop in sales since people started practicing social distancing, but Stemler says they have managed to break even and keep local employees working for the time being.
That means the company can now shift its focus to helping the community.
“I’ve heard stories of nurses who haven’t seen their kids in two weeks…because they’ve been affected by the pandemic,” said Stemler.
It's stories like these that have inspired the company to feed as many people as they can locally.
This week they donated subs to 100 workers at CHKD and three police precincts in Virginia Beach. Next week, Stemler says they will send sandwiches to firefighters all over Norfolk.
The goal is to feed 9,000 locals on the front lines of COVID-19.
“We have 1,000 people covered so far,” said Stemler. “But we still have a long way to go.”
According to Stemler, getting food to the people who need it right now, isn’t as easy as it sounds.
“That’s been one of the challenges,” said Stemler. “Health care organizations are so bogged down with so much stuff they can’t reach out, but they need the help.”
Stemler says you can help by putting him in touch with organizations helping to fight the spread of COVID-19.