Hey friends, we know the world seems like a pretty crazy place at the moment, so we wanted to touch base and let you know what DoughHeads is doing...
Although we have already taken some steps behind the scenes like increasing sanitisation of our store and reviewing our hygiene procedures, we have now decided to make some changes that will have a direct affect on your experience in our space. From Tuesday 17th March we will be making some *temporary* changes to our operations in response to COVID-19. We believe that these decisions are necessary to ensure the ongoing health and safety of our community, guests, team and families.
Packaging & Cups
We will be serving all coffee, doughnuts and shakes in takeaway packaging and we will no longer be accepting reusable cups. We have always promoted the use of our in-store and keep cups to do the best by our environment, so please understand that we did not come to this decision lightly. You are very welcome to enjoy your time in our space, but we ask that you take your cups, bags and other disposable items with you.
Payments
We request that you pay with contactless payments, so as to avoid unnecessary handling of cash by our staff. However, we appreciate your support at this time and so for now, we will still accept cash if you are unable to pay via another method.
Health & Hygiene
All measures are being taken to review and increase our health and hygiene practices in store as necessary. Sanitisation of tables, benches, chairs and other equipment is undertaken every hour and more if needed. Our team has been re-trained to ensure they are using correct handwashing procedures and we are looking to source instant hand sanitiser stations as soon as possible for both customers and staff.
Take Away Options & Delivery Services
If you are feeling unwell please practice social distancing and stay at home. Our doughnuts are available via the UberEATS and Deliveroo platforms, and we are looking into providing more delivery options as we navigate the next few weeks and months. If you would like to call ahead and place your order to ensure an efficient visit to our store, please do so via text or phone call on 0429498123 or visit our website and check which packs can be ordered online for pickup.
So can you still get doughnuts? And how can you support your local community through this season?
We are an independent, small business run by a small team of just 16 employees whose livelihoods depend on Doughheads; all of us have families and stories of our own. So for now, while it is safe, we will remain open and serving delicious doughies and coffee for as long as possible!
And there are hundreds of small, local businesses exactly like us in the Hunter Region who are struggling right now to know how to proceed in these uncertain times. Closing for a quarantine period will see many of our businesses struggle to maintain production and staffing. And dealing with an unstable economy for the coming 6-12 months whilst things "get back to normal" will see many of them collapse. So please, let's work together and support each other:
- If you budget and health allows, please continue to visit our local stores, cafes, bars and restaurants. If you are self-isolating, please consider using a delivery platform to have product delivered directly to you.
- Consider purchasing a gift voucher to use at a later date. Most venues have a 3year expiry date and would love to see you once this is all over.
- Many of us have an online store where you can purchase items for postage or delivery. We will be updating ours with coffee, socks and other items as soon as we possibly can.
If you are still reading, thank you! We cannot stress how much we appreciate your support in these uncertain times. We are hoping these changes are all temporary and that we'll be back to providing an incredible in store experience for our community soon. However, in the meantime, we’ll be adapting our business as necessary and looking to the advice of the World Health Organisation and the Department of Health to stay on top of this situation. The best advice at this time is that by taking these measures we can help to flatten the curve and slow down the spread of the virus. As young, healthy people we feel it is our responsibility to protect the most at risk in our community.
Thank you again and we look forward to delivering your an incredible Doughheads experience, regardless of where it is!
Cheers, Anna & the Doughheads' team