Restaurant, Construction Company Hit Nail on the Head with “Essential” Support.
Frank’s & Francisco’s Restaurant serves breakfast to Lloyd Construction workers and subcontractors on the job site at the U of A
Tucson has long been known as a unique city when it comes to our community’s sense of togetherness. From the arts, to our famous UNESCO “Capital of Gastronomy” designation, to our many small, mid-sized, and larger local businesses; it is an accepted fact that Tucson knows how to ‘Be Kind’ and help each other to make Tucson a great place to call home.
So, it is no surprise that two longstanding local businesses with deep ties to Tucson and its history – Lloyd Construction Company and Frank’s & Francisco’s Restaurant – came together in a show of gratitude to show support for each other and some of Tucson’s essential workers.
Construction has been declared an essential service, and that means our construction employees and subcontractors are still working on the front lines every day. While the industry has always been hyper-focused on safety it is now adapting in new ways.
“They [the workers] are all wearing facial masks, we keep to the social distancing of six feet apart, and everyone must now answer a series of health questions and undergo a temperature check before entering the job site in order to comply with CDC guidelines,” said Amy Cotner, Project Manager with Lloyd Construction.
“With the number of workers on this site, the process can add an additional 45 minutes to the schedule each day. The University of Arizona, where Lloyd Construction is completing renovations on the Yavapai Dormitory building, is being extremely supportive, and have taken the lead in implementing virtual meetings through platforms such as ZOOM as a way to keep critical communication open and project productivity moving forward”, Cotner said.
University officials understand why the new procedures, and the delays they bring, are necessary, and they are providing Lloyd’s site personnel whatever they need to get the job done.
“We currently have only had to make about a two-week adjustment to the project schedule, which is remarkable, and due to a lot of proactive measures taken from the very start of the shutdowns,” Cotner said.
It is also about more than just keeping the work environment safe. “A lot of these employees have kids and partners, people they need to go home to, so strictly adhering to the new safety measures is not only critical on-site but it also carries over on a personal level.”
Yet, despite all the changes during this time of uncertainty, one thing is still certain – hard work works up an appetite!
Ms. Cotner has long held the tradition of throwing a ‘Thank you’ BBQ lunch, for those on her projects and was not about to let the current situation dissuade her from letting her folks know how much she appreciates them. In fact, now more than ever, she wanted to make sure they knew their hard work was being recognized. Her partners in this tradition, who also sponsor the event, Sun Mechanical and Lloyd Construction Owners- President Bill Lloyd, and Vice President Brad Lloyd, wholeheartedly agreed!
After some deliberation on the safest way to carry on the tradition, Ms. Cotner reached out to Frank’s & Francisco’s, where she has been a long-time patron, to see if they could cater something in such a way as to be compliant with new health guidelines and if so, to be able to place an order that would also help support their local business.
Frank’s & Francisco’s, beloved by many Tucsonans for their fun and feisty cooks and servers, as well as their delicious American and Mexican cuisine, rose to the occasion and were able to provide individually wrapped burritos offering a discount to express their appreciation to the construction team.
As we navigate through the challenges presented by the Covid-19 Pandemic it is especially important to stay focused on positive things happening now and to look forward toward a brighter future. Part of that future includes what it always has – the continued improvement of the buildings and places in which we live, work, and play.
During the appreciation breakfast break, everyone involved practiced social distancing and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Protocols, but all were also reminded that while right now it may seem that we are together- alone, it will not always be so, and just as before, Tucson and its tenacious and caring business owners and residents will continue to excel at being together- together.