When March of 2020 brought a wave of changes to the way we operate in
both our personal
and professional lives, the NYCM Cafe Team didn’t miss a beat. With
much of the world on pause during the early stages of the pandemic, the team came
together to continue serving NYCM employees in a safe way. Continue reading to
learn more about the NYCM Cafe Team and their amazing efforts to spread not
only resources, but also smiles during an unprecedented time.
Our First Pop-Up Market
“When it first happened, we had to send people home almost instantly,”
recalled NYCM Cafe Supervisor, Laurie Smith. “Business slowed down for
us and no one really knew what was going to happen. Supplies were limited, but
we knew we needed to do something.” With a little brainstorming and a lot of teamwork, the first ever
NYCM Pop-Up Market was born. Laurie credited MaryEllen Kelly, a Cafe Service
Worker as the catalyst for the idea. “MaryEllen’s
ideas, in combination with our team’s determination, is what has made this all
possible.”
Knowing that it was going to be difficult, if not impossible, for
local families to get food
and supplies from their local grocery
stores, MaryEllen quickly came up with a plan. The Cafe Team jumped into
gear and started calling their corporate suppliers. They ordered large
quantities of items like bread, eggs, meat, toilet paper, and anything that
they knew was going to be hard to find in stores. They put together a menu of
food and supply options that would be available at wholesale price. When most
of Team NYCM went virtual on March 13th, 2020, the first pop-up market was held
just six days
later on March 19th. One important aspect of the pop-up market was
that the Cafe has never profited from it, as everything is sold at cost. “We
just wanted to make sure our folks were being taken care of.”
Laurie goes on to say that the intention behind
creating this pop-up-market was always to make sure their NYCM community was
taken care of. “Sure, at first we were a little worried. Not only were there supply shortages
nationwide, but early on in the process we lost one of the main
suppliers.” While losing one of the main
suppliers meant that they were going to be able to get cheaper deals on
leftover inventory in the short term,
it also meant they would either need to find a replacement or risk not having
enough to go around. In the end, losing that supplier meant going from several
pop-up markets a week down to one. Still the team persevered and eventually, as
cases in our county lowered, they were able to increase in-person staffing. This increase
in staff allowed for a little more variety in what the Cafe was able to offer.
For example, shortly after the increase, soups and
family meals, prepared directly by the Café staff, were added to the pop-up
market menus.
Innovation on Campus
In order to follow CDC safety guidelines,
the team needed to come up with a simple, easy way to distribute supplies to
their customers without coming into close contact. From this, the now-popular
NYCM Drive Thru emerged. Easy, quick and clever - the team
sprung into action and served directly to NYCM employees from the window pictured above
within the cafe.
For months, supplies were limited. Menus were created around what
could be found. Laurie shares that those who showed up to the pop-up markets
were always grateful. In true NYCM
employee fashion, grateful and appreciative were the common theme, never trying
to buy them out or take too many low-stock products. Truth be told, many
were happy just to get out of the
house and to see another face even if it was covered by a mask. “We have
regulars now that come through each week. We’ve created a bond that I don’t
know we would have had otherwise. We get to see friends we don’t
normally get to see. Some bring their kids along, and some bring their puppies, which we always
have treats for of course!” says Laurie.
Spreading Cheer Along The Way
Over the past year, the Cafe Team has made it their mission to make
the NYCM
community smile. Anytime there is an opportunity to do a socially-distanced
event or themed meal, they jump on it!
For example, the Halloween Trick-or-Treat Drive-Thru event was a massive
hit! Families came through by car, dressed in full costume to trick or treat
their way through the line! Many even had masks built into their costumes!
The drive-thru has been utilized for many holidays, from Beach
Day to the Thanksgiving Pop-Up Market,
to Christmas
cookie pick-up. There was even a Smores Kit available during the Fourth
of July. “We set out to do anything we could to make their days a little
brighter, or to make someone smile.”
Looking Forward
When asked about future plans for the
Cafe, Laurie shared that they have learned to go with the flow
and plan around change as covid cases
continue to rise and fall in our areas. “My team is ready. If we were asked to
come in tomorrow and resume under normal circumstances, we’d be ready!” Laurie
shared cheerfully.
Over the course of the last year, the
Cafe Team has grown closer than ever. “We’ve created a bond that cannot be
broken. We’ve gotten to know each other in ways I don’t know that we would have
under normal circumstances. It will never cease to amaze me just how quickly we
were all able to shift gears, get down to business, and make it happen,” says Laurie, “It speaks
volumes to the growth and reliance of our team.”
