Our Commitment to You During COVID-19

UPDATE: Tuesday, 6/30/20

Many of our restaurants are located in counties or states where masks are now required per local mandates. We kindly ask that guests wear face coverings in accordance with CDC guidelines, except while eating.  

We appreciate your understanding and participation. We are all in this together.   

UPDATE: Monday, 5/11/20

We’re working closely with our local franchise owners on a phased reopening strategy in accordance with state and local guidelines. Our stores are implementing additional safety and sanitizing procedures to keep guests and team members safe. All our locations are independently owned and operated, and our franchise owners have the freedom to choose to reopen dining rooms at their own discretion, adhering to state and local guidelines.

Here are some of the additional measures and safety precautions you will notice:

 

LOCATION-SPECIFIC UPDATES AS OF 6/9/2020

 

UPDATE: Monday, 5/4/20

Sonny’s franchisees have made the decision to keep their dining rooms closed temporarily. The health and safety of our guests and team members are always our top priorities, and we are taking additional time to evolve our internal operations to meet new standards and ensure we have the proper precautions in place. We are working closely with our local franchisees during this time to ensure we’re prepared to receive guests safely soon. In the meantime, Sonny’s will continue to offer curbside takeout, drive-thru and delivery services.

 

UPDATE: Saturday, 4/4/20

We are continuing to monitor and follow recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. In addition to our already rigorous cleaning standards and increased frequency of cleaning and disinfecting procedures, team members will have the option to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) for the duration of this national emergency. For the safety of our team members and guests, all team members are provided gloves and required to wash their hands and change gloves between serving guests. Although we are providing gloves for team members and giving them the option to wear masks, this does not replace or take away from the importance of washing hands frequently, maintaining social distancing, and avoiding touching the face to prevent the spread of COVID-19.   

Jamie Yarmuth   
Executive Vice President
Sonny’s Franchise Company
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UPDATE: Wednesday, 3/18/20

To our Sonny’s family,
As you know, we consider our guests to be like family and we want to be here for you. At Sonny’s BBQ the health and safety of our guests and team members have always been our top priorities. During these unprecedented times, we have been closely monitoring all federal, state, and local mandates and recommendations regarding restaurant operations. We are committed to protecting our guests and team members and we are doing our part by taking responsible actions.
We’re adapting every day to this changing, dynamic situation. Starting Friday, March 20, all of our restaurants will be temporarily closing their dining room to limit person-to-person contact. Some of our locations have already closed their dining rooms. We’ll be posting live store updates on this page.
Starting today, here’s how we are continuing to serve our guests and local communities:
  • Drive-thru (where applicable)
  • Online ordering via SonnysBBQ.com with the addition of curb-side takeout
  • Delivery (via UberEats and other partners)
  • Hours of operation will be tailored to the specific needs of each Sonny’s BBQ location. Please contact your local store for details.
We understand these are unique and challenging times for everyone. We want to assure you that you can continue to trust us to deliver the fresh BBQ you love in the safest conditions with the Southern Hospitality you know and expect.
Thank you for your patience and understanding during this transition. We appreciate your continued support of Sonny’s.
Sincerely,
Jamie Yarmuth   
Executive Vice President
Sonny’s Franchise Company
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UPDATE: Thursday, 3/12/20

A Message from Sonny’s BBQ Executive Vice President Jamie Yarmuth

Sonny’s BBQ considers our guests as part of the family. As a member of our Sonny’s family, we wanted to reach out to you directly with important information specific to the safety of dining with us at any time and especially during current concerns regarding the COVID-19 coronavirus.

At Sonny’s, the health and safety of our guests and team members are always our top priorities. We are a place where families and friends can enjoy meals together with good ole’ fashioned Southern Hospitality.

We want to assure you this is still the case, and you can dine with confidence at any of our restaurants.

We have always practiced stringent, preventive procedures regarding cleanliness and sanitization, many of which superseded the required standards. This includes each team member being required to participate in ongoing, mandatory training regarding food safety and sanitation. In all our restaurants we follow thorough, daily sanitation and personal hygiene procedures with our team members, including frequent hand washing and replacement of serving utensils, use of plastic gloves, and a strict stay-at-home-when-sick policy.

In addition to our already rigorous cleaning standards we have in place, we have increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting procedures across all guest touch points including dine-in, take out, and catering. Team members were required to complete mandatory COVID-19 safety and sanitation training.

For our guests, antibacterial hand sanitizer stations are being added this week to both the front entrance and salad bar.

We are carefully monitoring the evolving situation and will continue to use all resources and guidance available from the CDC and other health agencies to protect our team members and guests.

We are currently maintaining our normal operations. As we navigate through this unfamiliar territory, we are evaluating all dining options and will modify as necessary to allow us to continue to serve you your favorite BBQ. This means we may adjust the in-store experience temporarily if need be.

We sincerely appreciate your patronage and we want you to know we are committed to ensuring you continue to enjoy outstanding barbecue in the safest possible conditions.

Thank you for your continued loyalty to Sonny’s. We hope to see you soon! We will be providing live updates and information pertaining to our locations on this page.

Jamie Yarmuth

Executive Vice President

Sonny’s Franchise Company

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


Q: What procedures do you have in place to minimize the spread of illness at Sonny’s BBQ? 

A: As part of our commitment and responsibility to the health and safety of our guests, team members and the community, we have high standards for sanitation such as: 

  • All team members complete health and safety training and receive reinforcement regularly 
  • All facilities including the kitchen, dining room, bar, and restrooms are thoroughly sanitized throughout the day and at the end of the day  
  • Weekly routine deep cleaning and disinfection of the restaurants occur—heightened measures have been established and implemented 
  • Quick response to spills, trash and other situations throughout the restaurant  
  • Easy access to handwashing facilities

We are working closely with the local franchise owners and remains in constant contact with health agencies to gather up-to-date information. Sonny’s is providing increased cleaning and disinfection procedures across all guest touch points including dine-in, take out, catering, and off-premise. 

Q: How are you supporting your team members? 

A: We continue to share information with team members on the best ways to keep themselves and their families safe and healthy. To help prevent the spread of the virus, we’re encouraging anyone who feels sick to stay home. As the situation evolves, restaurants may implement additional preventative measures to ensure guest and team member wellbeing, including staffing modifications. Each local restaurant operator will communicate necessary changes within their restaurant. 

Q: What do I do if my event that I ordered catering for gets canceled? 

A: If you have a catered event or party booked and you’d like to move the date, we’d be happy to reschedule to accommodate your plans. Please contact your local Sonny’s to discuss a change of plans.  

Q: Are you offering your full menu at this time?  

A: We are currently maintaining our full menu. As we navigate through this unfamiliar territory, we are evaluating all dining options and will modify as necessary to allow us to continue to serve you your favorite BBQ. This means we may temporarily adjust the in-store experience if need be. 

Q: Will your salad bar be open when you reopen the dining room? 

A:  The salad bar is temporarily closed to comply with recent updates to health and safety recommendations. While the salad bar is currently unavailable, we are still offering our BBQ Salad and side salad. 

Q: What are symptoms of the coronavirus?  

A: COVID-19 symptoms are generally flu-like and include fever, cough, runny nose and difficulty breathing. Symptoms are thought to appear within two to 14 days after exposure, and a person can be contagious but not symptomatic. Like seasonal flu, COVID-19 infection in humans can vary in severity from mild to severe. When severe, pneumonia, respiratory failure and even death are possible. 

Q: Where can I find more information on COVID-19? 

A:  We encourage everyone to check out the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website for the most up to date information on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19.