Flyer Enterprises plans to open doors in the fall with new coronavirus protocols

Flyer Enterprise locations to open, but with different protocols in place, photo of Heritage Coffeehouse courtesy of the University of Dayton.

Grace Dipierro 
News Staff Writer

While many are eager to get back to their favorite Flyer Enterprise locations this semester, students will notice a few tweaks due to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Maya Gerker, a senior operations and supply chain major as well as the COO of Flyer Enterprises, most divisions will maintain the same hours of operation during the upcoming academic year.

However, the hours are subject to change based on foot traffic and coronavirus concerns.

Places like The Chill, Stuart’s Landing and possibly Artstreet Cafe will open before classes begin, but the specific dates are still up in the air. Regardless, all locations will be open by the first day of classes, Aug. 24. 

Unfortunately, there will be no indoor seating available at any of the Flyer Enterprise locations. Tables will likely be cleared out to keep the spaces clean and clear. 

FE is still wrestling with the idea of holding events in spaces such as Heritage Coffeehouse. Senior marketing and finance major and CEO of Flyer Enterprises Max Higgins said they are looking into how to social distance properly for events, but “that’s a big question mark right now.”

Students will still be able to purchase food from their favorite locations on a grab-and-go basis. All FE locations will use signs and ‘X’s on the ground to indicate where students should stand in order to maintain social distancing. Students will also follow designated arrows in and out of each FE location.

“If we change the way people come in and how they wait in certain waiting areas, then we can get as many people as is safe in a certain location,” Higgins said. 

Customers and employees will also be required to wear masks at all Flyer Enterprise locations. 

“We put in a plan that’s pretty strict about employees wearing masks, sanitizing after every shift and bleaching every night,” Gerker explained. “We definitely have our hands full with trying to get equipment and figuring out all the details operationally.”

Higgins said that since FE plans on closing their divisions over the summer during a normal year, they did not suffer financially as much as other businesses. However, FE did have to make some changes in order to respond appropriately to the pandemic. For example, the organization has held off on some projects until they begin generating revenue or it is safe to resume.

Despite any setbacks, Flyer Enterprises is looking to hire more students for the upcoming year. The company has spent a good amount of time putting plans together for what hiring will look like and how to respond when they lose parts of their staff due to illness. 

Flyer Enterprises has found one silver lining to the coronavirus pandemic. “It is interesting to learn about crisis management and how to deal with a major problem when it hits you in the face,” Higgins said. 

Junior Carolyn Haney, a finance major and CFO of Flyer Enterprises, said UD has been transparent and supportive as FE has worked on changes. 

“The university is going through the same things that we are and knowing that we are going to do the same steps as them is helpful for us,” Haney said. 

The best way to get updates on COVID-19 precautions, hours of operation and more is to follow FE’s social media as well as check their website. 

Higgins closed by saying, “We’re super excited and believe in the team we have that’s going to push us through. This is definitely not the most ideal situation, but we are ready to take on the challenge.”