In an effort to stop Covid-19 from spreading, New York-based Just Salad has suspended in-store dining, shifting to 100% digital ordering in most states.

"In light of recent events, and for the safety of our team members and valued customers, we have decided that the best and most efficient way to serve food right now is through pick-up and delivery orders," Founder and CEO Nick Kenner said in a company press release. “This change will support the social distancing guidelines issued by government officials and allow us to provide the highest level of service.”

The chain made the announcement right before New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday night that any restaurant, bar or cafe selling food could only do so via delivery or take-out.

“The virus can spread rapidly through the close interactions New Yorkers have in restaurants, bars and places where we sit close together,” said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We have to break that cycle.”

Just Salad said the following changes will be in effect as of close of business March 16:

• New York City, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Chicago locations will provide pick-up orders at the front door, with a 15-minute-or-your-money-back guarantee.
• On-premise dining and ordering at these locations will be suspended until further notice.
• All delivery fees through orders placed on Just Salad’s app or orderjustsalad.com will be waived.
•  Contactless and Tamperproof Delivery will be implemented on all orders on the Just Salad app and orderjustsalad.com.
• Delivery zones in New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia will be expanded.

The brand will offer free delivery through its app and website (orderjustsalad.com), along with a 15-minute guarantee on all pick-up orders. Just Salad’s menu will continue to be available on a number of third-party platforms, including Grubhub and Seamless. Customers placing pick-up orders will be greeted and served at the front door by a team member, according to the release.

By temporarily removing in-store dining and ordering, the company will be able to expand its capacity to fulfill digital orders.

“By focusing solely on digital orders, our team can execute at an even higher level and is well-suited to handle the increased demand we expect from customers who are working from home,” Kenner said.

The company’s locations in North Carolina and Florida will remain open to in-store ordering for the time being but are prepared to shift to digital if needed.

The brand also introduced contactless delivery and tamper-proof packaging to help minimize contact between customers, teammates, and delivery personnel. These services are automatically included for all orders. Contactless delivery involves couriers leaving deliveries on a customer’s doorstep or other chosen delivery location; the couriers will be calling all customers to confirm their delivery drop-off location.

“More than 1,000 employees and families depend on Just Salad as an employer,” Kenner said. "As we see more orders come in through our digital channels, these measures will help minimize impacts to their work schedules and maximize their safety. We are also providing an additional free meal to employees and their families, should their work schedules become impacted by the COVID-19 situation.”

Just Salad, based in New York City, has 50 locations in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Dubai.

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