BLOG --  Second half of season - Aug. 1, 2020

Our season is now half over & it has been a challenge for Papa Robbs as it has for businesses , especially small locally owned businesses, across the country. Many will not survive, but are determined & we are very fortunate. We have a good product, good corporate partners/suppliers, a super staff & we have you - our friends & customers.

Since some of this blog will not be what you want to hear let us begin by saying how much we appreciate your support & loyalty. Change & adjustment is never easy & we have all had to live with change this year. But if we stay the course, do the right thing & support each other then this too will pass. It will not be as soon as we would like & to be honest, things will never be quite like they were before. With that in mind let's get to the latest news, updates & plans.

No matter what you hear otherwise, the Covid-19 virus is real, dangerous & will be with us for a while longer. We hope & pray for better days, smarter treatments & a vaccine that works. Until then we must make smart decisions & truly believe that we are all in this together. Your continued understanding, patience & support are needed now more than ever.. Please note the following:

SAFETY -- Paramount; most important; basis for every decision we make. The safety of you, your family & for our staff. We also happen to believe in facts, numbers, statistics & science. We heed the advice of our doctors, the CDC & our local health alliance.

PLAYGROUND -- Our playground is closed & will remain closed for the rest of this year. Public playgrounds are closed & we are considered public. It is the law & it is smart policy. Before it does re open there are repairs that need to be made & it will be clean & professionally disinfected.

SEATING & RESTROOMS -- Also closed for the foreseeable future. Simply too dangerous & very hard to control. We do not have the staff size. Plus the kids will not understand why they can not play on the playground, etc. Not fair is it?   We do allow tailgating with your family & we appreciate your help with keeping our property neat & clean.

 

That's it. We know it not the most pleasant of news but it is the facts. We want things different too, but we want everyone safe - SAFE SAFE SAFE. So be patient & remember that we need, welcome & appreciate your support.

 

Thank You,       Papa Robb

BLOG - June 25, 2020 - seating, hours, etc.
Recently we have seen an increase in our customers asking about seating. We have said several times that Papa Robbs operates on its own phases & deadlines. While we attempt to base our decisions on current news about the Covid-19 Virus we realize that we have our own particular situations - party center, playground, large control area, etc. Also once again - our priority is SAFETY, for our customers & our staff. So please note the following:

We will continue keeping the party center & the playground closed - maybe for the rest of this year. We will also continue to restrict all seating - no seating allowed. Tailgating is still allowed but we urge social distancing.
North Carolina now has a mask mandate. Obviously you can't eat while wearing a mask, but we also urge you to wear a mask while waiting to order. Let us ALL WORK TOGETHER to keep each other safe.

We recently received an email from Kannapolis noting new case numbers that were over 250, plus North Carolina has now joined the alarmingly number of states with spikes in cases.  Therefore we will keep our regulations in place for the time being.

We will however make a small but important change in our hours of operation: starting the weekend of July 4 we will open 7 days a week from 12:00 noon to 8:00 pm, giving some extra time in the evening after work.
We know that this news is not what we all hoped for, but neither is this entire year & situation. Let us all remain patient & polite with each other & remember that eventually this too shall pass.
www.paparobbbs.com

BLOG -- May 23,  2020  --  Latest news

HELLO AGAIN --  We have now been open three weeks & still in Phase 1 of Papa's  opening rules. As always it is all about safety, safety, safety. Again we want to thank everyone for being very cooperative & very supportive of each other. That is the way it has always been at Papa Robbs & we expect that attitude to continue now & way beyond this virus.

This is how things stand at this time: Phase 1 will last until mid to late June. Take out only. At that time , if all goes well & depending on the overall breakout situation in our area, we should be able to open up some limited seating with the social distancing requirements in place.

The playground will remain closed - probably through the summer at least. Very difficult to separate kids once they start playing. Besides, all playgrounds are still closed in NC.

Same with the party center - closed till further notice.

NOW -- another reminder about our special shakes. The Creamsicle Shake reminds us of the old Orange Creamsicle bars. Plus we now have both SunDrop & Cheerwine Italian Ice, so come try something new.

TAILGATING: Yes it is allowed, but social distancing is important for non family members. Be creative & yes you can bring your own take out lunch.

Thanks again for your help, patience & understanding.----------------

www.paparobbs.com

BLOG --  Opening Report --  May 7, 2020


What's next you may ask? But let's begin with news of our first week of the season. We've been open for less than a week & we are happy to report that things went well; actually better than expected. This of course was because of you.

Everyone was VERY cooperative, with us & each other. Then again you guys are always cooperative & nice. And that's what makes Papa Robbs Papa Robbs. Now, you are already asking:  "What's next"? Simply put - more of the same.

We see & hear the same news as you: about Opening Up. States, counties, cities, towns & some businesses. In our opinion opening too fast, too much & too soon. We simply have most faith in science & medicine. We want to be wide open again for sure, not at the risk to our staff & you - our customer/friends.

SAFETY -- SAFETY -- SAFETY.  Tha't the name of this game. This virus is not going away as soon as some people think - so why take the risk? Besides, ole Papa Robb had a timetable of his  own. Call it Papa's 4 Phases. We just opened so we are going to stick with our plan & we will try to open in baby steps. Our first phase  was due to last about a month & that is still the plan.

We want to thank all of you again for your great good manners. Papa's Grandmother would approve. Keep watching our social media as we try to do 2 or 3 posts a week & will soon begin our texting program for the year. Some surprises are on the way & a few door prizes to boot.

Before we go - check our menu at our web site as we have a few new items & last year's special Brownie Sundae has become a regular item. Another hint: our Papa's Faves shakes are going fast so come get a taste.

We'll talk again soon.
www.paparobbs.com

BLOG --- PRE OPENING


READY, SET, GO! -- Hello again. This might be our final blog before we open Apil 30. Our schedule is pretty tight as we also have our mobile department up & running so we are getting busier every day.

This blog will be more of a list of important things to know, so let's get to it:

1. As we noted in our last blog, safety is very important, thus all of our regular regulations will be in effect plus a few more. We ask that we all

practice respect & patience.
2. We will do social distancing with tape markings. There will be separate areas for entrance & exit marked with signage. You will see more hats,

gloves & masks with entrance to our work area restricted to on duty employees only - no more visits allowed by friends, family members or off

duty employees.
3. All orders will be Carry Out/To Go only - no seating will be available. For the time being we will allow you to enjoy your treat in your vehicle if

you so choose.
4. Over the past several weeks we have discussed plans with our friendly competitors, health care workers, our doctors & other officials & will

follow guidlines set out by the CDC.
5. Again - this is all for your protection.
6. All is not so drab however: Papa Robb's will be as bright & inviting as we can make it. Music will be there somewhere. Plus we have some

exciting flavors & products. Both SunDrop & Cheerwine Italian Ice (while they last). Some ice cream flavors such as the return of Banana Pudding,

a new Birthday Cake, Cherry Vanilla & Crazy Vanilla. Other specials will show up over the season.
7. Papa has some new Faves & they are interesting: We now offer a Cheerwine Shake, A Lemonade Shake & an Orange Creamsicle Shake.

Give em all a try.
8. Food rumors are true. Sometime in May we plan to offer  some food choices. These are at YOUR requests so remember they will need your

support to keep serving. Hot Dogs, Burgers, Bar B Que are among our plans.
9. We are excited & look forward to seeing you again, so mark your calendars, tell your friends & we see you again starting Thursday, April 30,

11:00 am - 7:00 pm
10. Thanks again for your support & please Be Safe

www.paparobbs.com

OPENING DATE SET FOR APRIL 30


Well everybody it looks like the time has arrived. We plan to open for the year on Thursday, April 30. Hours will be 11:00 am till 7:00 pm, Tuesday - Sunday. Closed on Mondays.

Our plan is to do three short blogs with info about our plans, details, rules, etc.. Very important that you read these blogs & share them with as many people as possible.

Over the past several weeks we have been fortunate to have been able to meet with many people & discuss our options & plans. Customers, health care professionals, other similar businesses, even a doctor or two. We feel our plans are good, reasonable, but open for changes along the way. So -----

SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY: You will notice some changes right away. Open for take out orders to go ONLY. You can walk up & order from our window or order by email or text (info on these methods coming in regular posts & blog). All of our seating areas, tables, etc have been taped/roped off as has our playground. NO SEATING available.

We will offer our full menu - this has changed also with some new flavors of ice cream & specials plus we new offer (while supplies last) both SunDrop & Cheerwine Italian Ice! Watch for other specials to come.

Rules are more important than ever. Social Distancing will be followed. Patience is very important. In other words - simply behave like the great Papa Robbs customers you have always been. Papa Robbs has always been different. It is truly a place for families , but also a "Family Place". This is a place where everyone is welcome - we consider us all -- customers & staff alike - are like a family. Thank you for that feeling.

For now please mark your calendars: Thursday, April 30 , 11 - 7, Pray for reasonable weather.  We look forward to seeing you again.

WATCH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA & BLOGS FOR MORE EXCITING DETAILS.

www.paparobbs.com

BLOG -- OPENING DELAYED                             April, 2020


Warning: this may seem like all bad news, but it is not. We like to put a positive outlook on most things, & as difficult as these times are in many ways they are bringing most of us closer together.

By our post you know we are delaying our opening this year. We do not know how long this delay may be -- and it may be piece meal. For instance, our mobile units may be up & running very soon.

The reason for this delay varies. From our end we simply ran out of time. We are bright, cheery & as clean as we can be (except of this pollen). But other businesses face the same challenges we do so we are short on info signs, banners, etc.  These are all very important to the overall goal of safety & convenience.

Our `delivery options are not in place on the scale they should be - same for curbside & ordering options.  The majors (Grubhub, Doordash, Ubereats) are under siege, busier than ever & backlogged. They are working as quickly as possible & we respect their situations.

Our employees & family members have their own challenges. Even this allergy season seems worse. Our vehicles turn yellow overnight!

Please be patient. We are not going anywhere. If others are open please visit them for they too are trying to save their businesses. And we will see you as soon as we can.

Again, Thank You & please be safe.

www.paparobbs.com

BLOG --  OPENING DAY & BEYOND -- MARCH 29, 2020

Hello again. We're a few days late with this blog, but there were  many decisions to be made plus we knew there would be changes & new situations for our state & our community. Yes we are all urged to shelter in place as much as possible, but there are also allowances to this. So - let's get to it:

This one of those good news, bad news deals. Obviously we all are facing a great challenge. We urge all of you to be patient, be kind & always remember that we all have the same concerns. We will attempt here to do this in list form. But we do urge you to stay involved & check our social media as often as possible. Remember that we have the Papa Robb's Club - sign up today & receive a weekly text message update on specials & any changes & adjustments we make as we go forward..

Therefore please note the following:

1. We will open our store on Thursday, April 2. Open six days a week, closed Mondays. Our hours (subject to change) will be 11:00 am until 7:00 pm

2. There are several new regulations & restrictions as follows:  No seating available - all orders are take out "To Go". The playground & the party center are closed. As all of you know Papa Robbs has always had some rules about behavior. These are now more important than ever. Simply put - good manners & respect for your neighbors. After all, we are known as THE family place.

3. We will offer you SEVERAL WAYS TO ORDER & GET YOUR TREATS. Some available from opening  day, others will take longer & be phased in. So pay attention as even old Papa Robb gets confused:  You can simply show up & order from our serving window. You can pull into our parking lot & order & we will deliver to your car (credit & debit card orders, plus other electronic options with this option).

We are working on other ordering methods such as emailing or texting your orders. Hopefully ready by April 2 or within a few days. There MIGHT be a new phone number for those orders but not settled as of today - depends on equipment.

FOOD DELIVERY SERVICES: We are in the process of arranging agreements, contracts, etc with food delivery companies. Naturally they are flooded with requests so this may take some time, but not much. Options will be:  GRUBHUB; DOORDASH; UBEREATS. You will be able to order directly through their apps or through our social media linking to their apps. We are also exploring some options with our relationship with THE SQUARE.

Obviously we are learning a lot as we go. Fortunately we have some experience with TO GO orders. But some things do not change. Yes our prices have changed for this year, but there are no "special " menu prices for take out - including through outside businesses. Everyone pays the same basic price.

www.paparobbs.com

LATEST BLOG OF MARCH  16, 2020


WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED-------------------
Given the recent developments surrounding COVID-19, we want to reassure everyone that we are closely following the guidelines of the CDC and are doubling down on our efforts to maintain the highest level of restaurant sanitation and cleanliness for our customers and staff.

Last week we ended our blog with a list of topics we would be covering in the future, some for this week. But, as we all know the world has changed in a week & that includes our county & surrounding counties.

The Coronavirus is here Period. New medications will offer both a cure as well as preventive vaccines. But - what to do now is the question. So please note right now just some of what we have planned at Papa Robbs to make your visit with us enjoyable & as risk free as possible. We plan to accomplish that by listening to experts & watching what the most successful fast food companies are doing or planning to do.

With that in mind please note the following:

1. We still plan to open April 2, but circumstances could delay that date. So PLEASE check all of our social media as often as possible.
2. Our Papa Robb's Club will start up again with weekly short text messages to keep you up to date. You can still sign up - check our web site - www.paparobbs.com
3. You will note some changes at Papa Robbs. Some big some small. The biggest is some new fences as the DOT has bought some of our property for turn lanes at our intersection - good news in the long run.
4. This still leaves us plenty of room & space to spread out. This space & being outdoors helps simply because you are not forced into small spaces.
5. Our entire area is being cleaned, power washed & painted.

www.paparobbs.com

THE BLOG RETURNS --  March 8, 2020

Yes it is true believe it or not: The Blog Has Returned. Appropriately it is being written on the first morning of Daylight Savings Time - a sure sign of Spring as well as the approaching Opening Day of Papa Robbs. Which is April 2  (weather challengers permitting).

That all said, allow me - Papa Robb - (yes the real one) to apologize for "Blog Failure" in the past. I always have good intentions of better blogging but always fail. This year will be better so pay attention this year. There will be more & better news - I promise - again.

The blogs will be shorter , but more frequent so let's get started.

Last year was a CHALLENGE. The worse was the loss of our brother-in-law Scott. Naturally everyone in our family business was affected. Almost a year later  Scott's death is still with us.

Let's add in much weather challenges - always a big deal - the NC Dept. of Transportation (more on that to come), growth problems, family illnesses - well you get the picture. In spite of all that our year was pretty good. Our store has some ragged edges but business was steady & our mobile vending was bigger than ever.

Our next blog will begin details of recent changes & changes to come, but we will close this blog with a simple list of hints:

1. The Papa Robb's Club will return in April with weekly Texts of important news.

2. Our ice cream line up will increase.

3. Music & other special events will continue - hopefully bigger than ever.

4. Quality of products & attitudes will remain & become even more important.

5. Based on #4 note that Papa Robbs welcomes all & is very inclusive. Yes there are rules, but being well mannered & good behavior are paramount.

6. Families are our most important product.

7. Fun remains a high priority.

8. The DOT project (turn lanes) might begin so PLEASE bare with them & with us.

9. I proomise better blogs

10. I did mention: FUN, FUN & MORE FUN?

That's it see you again real soon with hopefully some HUGE news.

www.paparobbs.com