Recognizing the complex environment currently facing Michigan bars and restaurants, the state’s leading industry association is teaming up with a Midland-based firm to help streamline new protocols to keep everyone safe when dining out in the Great Lakes State.
The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association and BYOD Inc. will jointly provide health screening and contact tracing software to Michigan’s hospitality industry to speed those processes for bar and restaurant owners and managers all across the state.
The MRLA is partnering with BYOD to provide employee health screening and contact tracing software through products called Temp Protect and Guest Protect, offering value and resources to Michigan’s hospitality industry.
Justin Winslow, President & CEO of the MRLA, says, “We are proud to partner with BYOD to provide the best tools available for contact tracing,” and adds, “As a Michigan-based company, BYOD leadership understands the complex environment in which restaurants and other businesses operate in our state to ensure the health and safety of customers and employees. Providing employee health screening and guest contact tracing software enables restaurant owners to effectively and securely do their part as we work toward full reintegration.”
Guest Protect uses any smartphone with a camera to scan a QR code that is unique to the participating operator. The guest enters their name, phone number and email which then submits the encrypted data to a secure Amazon Web Services Cloud storage environment for retrieval if required by the health department. The process takes less than 20 seconds and can be completed by the guest or the operator. In the first day of use on November 3, 2020, more than 400 guests uploaded their data.
Dave Dittenber, owner/founder of BYOD says, “In the restaurant business, people don’t see all the measures that are handled behind the scenes, but they have always trusted the right protocols were in place.” He notes, “As we operate within ‘the new normal’ and embrace more public-facing transparency, this technology shows consumers that restaurants are taking the necessary steps to create a safe dining environment.”
BYOD’s Temp Protect is a mobile application that health screens staff members utilizing a five question survey and generates a QR code for location scanning. The staff member’s responses are then encrypted and stored in a secure cloud environment and accessible only to the administrator of the account. Importantly, the process provides a one-day work permit and staff must re-certify daily through the app.
MRLA and BYOD are currently onboarding MRLA Members to both platforms at no cost and non-members for $25 per month, per location.
To opt in or join the MRLA and take advantage of the no cost offer, visit http://mrla.org/byod.
BYOD is based in Midland, Michigan, and is a Virtual Restaurant Manager powered by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Combining advanced analytics with deep learning from IoT technologies, its platform measures restaurant performance and provides real-time actionable steps to reduce costs, increase revenue and support consistent operation. BYOD developed the Protect Suite of tools to help restaurants and event spaces open, reopen and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit http://www.byod.ai, or the link for each individual product:
- Temp Protect — http://www.tempprotect.ai
- Guest Protect — http://www.guestprotect.ai
- Event Protect — http://www.eventprotect.ai
The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association is the recognized leader of Michigan’s hospitality industry, providing essential services to the foodservice and lodging community. Founded in 1921 as the Michigan Restaurant Association and now known as the MRLA, the Association represents more than 5,000 Michigan foodservice and lodging establishments. The industry plays an integral role in Michigan’s economy, employing more than 595,000 people and creating nearly $40 billion in annual sales. For more information, visit http://www.mrla.org
