A Note to the Nashville Hospitality Industry - The George Jones

A Note to the Nashville Hospitality Industry

March 19, 2020

Dear Hospitality Community:

We want to assure you we are working diligently on your behalf. We know these are extremely difficult times for our industry and we want to be a resource for you. Please focus on your safety and health, and the safety and health of others. Our hope is that you find all of this information helpful and you will share it with those in need.

Some new and important information – there may be new guidance coming for all restaurants to stop in-dining service and move to a take-out/delivery model only. This may also extend to non-essential retail as well, but we will know more for certain in the coming days and will be sure to communicate any changes to you as soon as possible.

Please tune in to the Mayor’s daily press conference at 9:30am on local TV or view after the fact on the Metro Nashville Network YouTube or Facebook page.

Utilities:

  • Metro Water Services has suspended cut-offs and will waive late fees.
  • NES has suspended all disconnects, including disconnects for nonpayment into April.
  • Eviction notices in Davidson County are suspended this week and until further notice.
  • Piedmont Gas has suspended all disconnects.
  • Comcast is allowing postponement of payment.

Resources & Jobs Information:

We know many people are now without jobs and we have begun putting together a list of available opportunities for you to share. Many grocery chains and delivery services are hiring. We are working to keep it as up to date as possible. View job listings.We have also compiled a list of resources, including how to apply for unemployment benefits, that you and your employees may find helpful during this time. Get employment resources.

Mayor Cooper’s COVID-19 Response Fund: 
The first Committee conference call for the COVID-19 Response Fund took place yesterday. Please encourage people to donate – large and small donations to the fund make a difference.

Today, the Frist Foundation donated $1 million. Our goal is to start providing help to those in need by Friday. The Fund will be administered by United Way of Greater Nashville. Stay tuned for more information and please check the United Way website, call 211, or reach out to United Way for more information. The Advisory Committee will be chaired by Sen. Bill Frist, MD, and our industry is well represented by Rob Mortenson, President/CEO, Tennessee Hospitality Association; Benjamin Goldberg, Founder and Co-owner, Strategic Hospitality; Maneet Chauhan and Vivek Deora, Founders and Partners of Morph Hospitality; as well as myself.

We have tapped our private revenue reserve at the NCVC to help jumpstart the fund with a donation of $500,000. We will work to make sure individuals from the hospitality industry impacted by closures and other business restrictions get relief. View the full release and more information.

COVID-19 Community Assessment System
We are working with the city promptly to set up a COVID-19 assessment system that includes a hotline and six assessment center sites strategically located around the county to provide access to all of Nashville. Assessments at the first site will begin today to assure a smooth rollout before opening other locations.

Stay up to date with Metro’s COVID-19 response at covid19.nashville.gov.

I also want to give a big thank you to Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting for donating 12 refrigerators to the Assessment Centers – there are many ways companies can step up to help at this time.

Again, I want to reassure you that we are at work on behalf of our industry. I will be reaching out again soon. Stay safe and stay strong. We will get through this together! #NashvilleStrong

Sincerely,
Butch Spyridon
President and CEO
Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp