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Texas restaurateur creates company for mobile, on-site COVID-19 testing

Jon Alexis of TJ’s Seafood and Malibu Poke says SafeWork effort builds trust with workers, customers

Ron Ruggless, Senior Editor

July 21, 2020

3 Min Read
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Jon Alexis created SafeWork in an effort to build trust with workers, customers during the coronavirus pandemic.Ron Ruggless

Dallas-based restaurateur Jon Alexis is so focused on testing staff members for COVID-19 infections that he formed a company to do it  for his restaurants and to help others.

Alexis, who owns two TJ’s Seafood Market and Grill Units in Dallas and three fast-casual Malibu Poke restaurants in Dallas and Austin, created SafeWork Health in late April to do onsite testing for restaurants and other businesses.

“I have seen that patrons understand that it's impossible for restaurants to prevent COVID-19 from entering their premise,” Alexis said. “Their job is to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  Testing and symptom screening, social distancing and masks ... these things work.”

When the novel coronavirus was declared a pandemic in March and state and local governments began shutting down business to stop the spread, Alexis turned to friends who owned urgent-care centers.

“My best friends own a chain of urgent cares,” Alexis said in July. “When the crisis hit, they quickly pivoted to COVID testing and became one of the largest testers in Texas.  When they began being approached to come do on-site testing, my friends and I co-founded a company to provide that service.”

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Jon Alexis outside of one TJ’s Seafood Market SafeWork Health.

Restaurateurs need to build trust with their customers that they are providing the safest environment for dining, Alexis said.

Nick Badovinus, owner of FlavorHook LLC in Dallas and operator of such popular restaurants as Neighborhood Services, Montlake Cut, Town Hearth and others, uses the SafeWork service to provide proactive, weekly COVID-19 testing onsite.

“While it’s easy to take someone out of the restaurant who isn’t feeling well, being proactive will help us do our part to identify asymptomatic cases within our restaurants,” Badovinus said

SafeWork’s online portal allows workers to consent to testing, which is done by medical professionals. Employers pay for the tests.

At TJ’s Seafood, for example, tests are conducted in small white tents pitched in parking spaces in front of the strip-shopping-center location. The transparent and visible effort lets customers know that the restaurant is focused on the safety of its employees — as well as its guests.

“We serve numerous restaurants in DFW,” Alexis said. “While we don't publicly discuss our clients, many restaurants have been public about hiring SafeWork in social and print media, and I think they've seen it help build trust with customers.”

One challenge is the cost to the restaurant operator.

“Very few restaurants are able to offer their staff benefits, so paying out of pocket during the most difficult time to operate a restaurant in recent memory is ... challenging,” Alexis said. “I'll also admit it's a real challenge that our country is not enacting the testing best practices that have worked in other nations.”

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Employees line up to get tested before beginning shifts.

However, Alexis said the new SafeWork business has been rewarding.

“Helping my restaurant brothers and sisters employed in tough times has been great,” he said. “Restaurants that test can stay open and keep people on payroll.  As far as our work family, we've managed to keep four of our five restaurants open and now we employ just under 50 at SafeWork, so I'm happy to be paying people in a tough time.”

Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected]

Follow him on Twitter: @RonRuggless

About the Author

Ron Ruggless

Senior Editor, Nation’s Restaurant News / Restaurant Hospitality

Ron Ruggless serves as a senior editor for Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN.com) and Restaurant Hospitality (Restaurant-Hospitality.com) online and print platforms. He joined NRN in 1992 after working 10 years in various roles at the Dallas Times Herald newspaper, including restaurant critic, assistant business editor, food editor and lifestyle editor. He also edited several printings of the Zagat Dining Guide for Dallas-Fort Worth, and his articles and photographs have appeared in Food & Wine, Food Network and Self magazines. 

Ron Ruggless’ areas of expertise include foodservice mergers, acquisitions, operations, supply chain, research and development and marketing. 

Ron Ruggless is a frequent moderator and panelist at industry events ranging from the Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators (MUFSO) conference to RestaurantSpaces, the Council of Hospitality and Restaurant Trainers, the National Restaurant Association’s Marketing Executives Group, local restaurant associations and the Horeca Professional Expo in Madrid, Spain.

Ron Ruggless’ experience:

Regional and Senior Editor, Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality (1992 to present)

Features Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1989-1991)

Restaurant Critic and Food Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1987-1988)

Editing Roles – Dallas Times Herald (1982-1987)

Editing Roles – Charlotte (N.C.) Observer (1980-1982)

Editing Roles – Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald (1978-1980)

Email: [email protected]

Social media:

Twitter@RonRuggless

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ronruggless

Instagram: @RonRuggless

TikTok: @RonRuggless

 

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