Rob Ciancimino, General Manager
At Verse, we have taken all the necessary steps, according to the CDC, regarding cleanliness and preparation. Gloves and masks are worn while prepping, cooking, cleaning and packing up orders and stay on they are when brought out to the guest. We have also developed a new to-go menu for curbside pickup as well as delivery via Postmates. Our pickup menu also includes soft drinks, wine and specialty cocktails available at a much lower price point. We want our guests who order to get the best deal possible.
The community has been amazing and very supportive! So many people who have done our curbside pickup always say they’re “rooting for us” and continue to order to show their support. Many neighbors nearby have called and asked for hard copies of our to-go menu to pass around to their neighbors. We’re really happy to be of service to our Toluca Lake community.
We’ve certainly seen the community come together, from the local businesses to the residents! It’s just great to see everyone support each other during such a challenging, unprecedented time. I think everyone realizes we’re all in this together and everyone is taking a hit in some capacity. It’s important that we all work together as a community to get through it, and it seems everyone realizes that.
The biggest challenge for us, aside from the financial losses, was laying off our amazing staff. We have such a great group of employees who have been with us from the beginning, so that was the most difficult thing to do. We have been checking in with everyone and sending them links to sites and services that may be able to offer them some aid, and we also have been cooking meals for them to pick up each day. Any gratuity left on a takeout order is being put aside in a fund to be shared among the whole staff.
What the community can do for all of us at this time is to keep supporting all our local businesses! We love the words of encouragement, and appreciate it anytime anyone orders a meal from us during this time. It means a lot to us to still be able to prepare and provide meals for our greater Toluca Lake community.
During these unprecedented times, let’s remind each other to work together to show what a strong community we are so we can come back better than ever.
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