Campaigns Aim to Help Struggling Foodservice Industry

American Express and Cointreau are launching national efforts to help foodservice providers struggling amid the pandemic. 

American Express has teamed up with Resy to launch a national campaign with a simple message: Order In, Help Out. As part of the Order In, Help Out campaign, American Express and Resy are rallying consumers across social media to make #TakeoutTuesday a weekly occurrence.

By ordering takeout on Tuesdays, one of the slowest days of the week for foodservice operators, consumers can help make a difference by sharing their takeout orders from local restaurants in their community. The companies created a hub of takeout inspiration at Resy.com/Takeout, where people can find a collection of stories and guides to help inspire their dining decisions. Any restaurant can participate in the campaign by tapping into Resy and American Express’ downloadable Takeout Toolkits, which include assets like printable posters, social stickers and more at AmericanExpress.com/ShopSmall and Resyos.com/Takeout. Resy toolkit will be available starting Feb. 17.

In addition, American Express is introducing new dining offers on many of its cards.

“We all miss our favorite local restaurants — the places where we’ve shared meals with family, celebrated special occasions with friends and relied on for late night cravings. As those experiences have been put on hold, the survival of our favorite places are in jeopardy,” said Elizabeth Rutledge, CMO, American Express. “With Order In, Help Out, we hope to inspire people to help keep our local restaurants in business, especially during the winter months, one of the slowest and toughest times of the year.”

More than half of restaurant owners in the U.S. are seriously considering closing for good because of the pandemic, according to American Express. And 89% of small, independent restaurant owners say they depend on takeout orders to stay afloat. The study also estimated that the simple act of ordering takeout can generate, on average, more than $700 million in daily sales for the industry.

Meanwhile Cointreau, the premium French liqueur brand, is doing its part for the foodservice industry by launching a “Love Letter” campaign to raise awareness on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on local restaurant and bar workers. The 30-second spot will encourage Super Bowl viewers to visit cointreau.com/saverestaurants to share a simple “Thank You” or a heartfelt “See You Soon” on social media, tagging their favorite bar or restaurant with hashtag #SaveRestaurants. More than just encouraging words, these “Love Letters” will raise awareness of the plight these small businesses continue to face.

More than one in six restaurants and bars have shut their doors since the pandemic began nearly a year ago, and up to 85% risk closing permanently. Temporary and permanent closures have left over 2.4 million people who work in restaurants and bars without a job, including over 370,000 who lost their jobs this past December.

“The global pandemic has threatened the family of restaurants, bars and industry partners that help create the exceptional moments and experiences customers hold near and dear when they order a Cointreau cocktail. We’re taking this opportunity to amplify their voices during one of the biggest moments of the year with our emotionally-charged ‘Love Letter,’ an authentic testament to the industry we love and are committed to see thrive again,” said Ian McLernon, president and CEO at Rémy Cointreau Americas. “Our on-premise partners have given Cointreau so much, and we want to do our part to show our support. We are thrilled to work alongside the Independent Restaurant Coalition to keep restaurants from disappearing forever.”

Cointreau’s Big Game spot will run in 15 key regional markets nationwide, Connected TV and on digital across YouTube and organic and paid owned social channels. Cointreau chose markets hardest hit by COVID-19 pandemic including Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.