Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Markham helps restaurants reopen with Ritual’s contact tracing software & online ordering

MARKHAM, ON – June 22, 2021 – The City of Markham is collaborating with Ritual to help support local restaurants as they welcome outdoor diners back in Step One of the Province of Ontario’s reopening plan.

Restaurants play an essential role in our diverse community. They help drive the economy and bring character and vitality to our neighbourhoods.

While we are excited to see patios open and vaccination rates rise in York Region, there is still work that needs to be done to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

Ritual – the online ordering system and food ordering app – recently acquired the AllChecked.in contact tracing platform to further demonstrate value to local restaurants and help keep staff and customers safe.

As part of the Reopen with Ritual program, Ritual is offering AllChecked.In and Ritual Online Ordering free for a lifetime for any Markham restaurant that signs up.

Markham restaurants that sign up for the Reopen with Ritual program will get:

Easy-to-use contact tracing software
Online ordering
Marketing resources
Paperless payments

To learn more about the program and sign up, visit ritual.co/campaign/qrmarkham.

“I am pleased that Ritual is offering this innovative solution to Markham restaurants as they continue to respond and adapt to restrictions brought on by COVID-19 and prepare for business post-pandemic,” said Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “The City of Markham continues to actively seek opportunities and forge ahead with collaborations building on last year’s Ritual Open for Business program. It is critical that both government and enterprise work together to offer solutions to assist small business as we reopen and rebuild our economy."

Several Ontario restaurants have been taking advantage of this offering. In fact, since the Province of Ontario entered Step One of the Roadmap to Reopen on June 11, Ritual has signed up 251 restaurants and enabled 111,000 user check-ins through its contact tracing app – helping keep our community stay safe.

"We're excited to be collaborating with the City of Markham to help local restaurants reopen,” said Ray Reddy, CEO of Ritual. “It’s more important than ever that we work together with restaurants to ensure the safety of their staff and customers."

Reopen with Ritual is the latest initiative offered in collaboration with the City of Markham, in addition to support programs offered through the Department of Economic Growth, Culture and Entrepreneurship’s Markham Small Business Centre and Destination Markham to help local businesses through the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.

Businesses looking to better understand COVID-19 health and safety regulations can visit markham.ca/CovidEnforcement. All local restaurants, retailers and artisans are encouraged to join Destination Markham’s online business listing at visitmarkham.ca, where they can be found quickly by a community eager to support local. Finance, tax and legal workshops, as well as pre-recorded webinars continue to be available via the Markham Small Business Centre during these challenging times.

Related Links:

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Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti's Office:
Bryan Frois, Chief of Staff at bfrois@markham.ca or 416.567.1177.

All other media inquiries / interview requests for the City of Markham:
Jennifer Yap, Coordinator, Communications and Media Relations at jyap@markham.ca or 437.229.2450.

For COVID-19 announcements from the City of Markham:
Visit markham.ca/covid19 or listen to 105.9 The Region – Markham’s information and emergency radio station.

About Markham: Markham, an award-winning municipality with over 351,000 residents and the largest of nine communities in York Region, is home to over 650 corporate head offices and more than 1,500 high tech and life science companies. Markham is a leader in attracting foreign direct investment with more than 240 foreign companies located in the City. Founded in the 1790s, today Markham is Canada’s most diverse community and enjoys a rich heritage, outstanding community planning and services, and a vibrant local economy. Markham has received the Excellence Canada Gold Award for Organizational Quality & Healthy Workplace, and multiple heritage and environmental awards.

Stay Connected: Visit our newsroom or search #MarkhamNews and #MarkhamEvents for the latest information on City programs, services and event.