Are Floridians ready for the comeback?
Although the state of Florida is known to be opening back up and safely advancing towards pioneering a post-pandemic infrastructure, many people are still uncertain of how they can safely leave their homes to enjoy life, while supporting the local businesses in their communities at the same time. This gap in resources and information is what sparked the concept and need for the inception of The Florida Comeback.
The creators, four furloughed Orlando hospitality and tourism professionals have combined efforts to build out an experience-driven tutorial on their new brands' Instagram page, that is hyperfocused on how to explore Florida, as well as the businesses that make it special.
The group has a special place in their hearts for hospitality and they have always been avid supporters of Florida restaurants, hotels, shops, and attractions. They were no strangers to posting their Orlando experiences on their personal social media accounts. When the state entered into phase three of reopening and businesses began to re-open, the team started researching safe ways to visit Florida attractions again. They came up short and quickly realized that there needed to be a better resource for visitors and locals to know which businesses were open and how those businesses are safely welcoming back guests.
Recently, they joined my H&F Redefined community, an online platform created by furloughed/laid-off professionals that support like-minded new entrepreneurs in the same professional hardship position. The Florida Comeback story was such an inspiring story for us at H&F Redefined to tell, we decided to follow up and have them offer a few "pro-tips". We asked them to share their expert advice for a few ways on how to stay connected and supportive of the local community you are in that feels safe, practical, and of course fun!
Here's what they said:
5 Tips on How to Explore Your Local Community
1.) Buy Local, but Also Buy SMALL
"We are all about supporting hospitality through purchases but this doesn't necessarily mean a full-on meal (though we love that too). You can purchase sauces, dressings, and other smaller items directly from the restaurant to help support them as well."-TFC
2. Take the Time to Leave Reviews
"Leaving reviews or posting to your social media pages and tagging hospitality businesses is always a free, easy, and impactful action to take. Hospitality needs all the love and support they can get right now, and reviews can take businesses to the next level." -TFC
3. A Little Extra Planning & Research Will No Doubt Benefit in the Long Run
"Calling businesses or going to their social media pages, rather than their websites, may provide you more up to date information regarding implementations due to covid. Places are running at lower capacities and some that did not require reservations prior, have now implemented reservation and ticket systems to help organize the experience with the ongoing changes. Understanding their and systems will help you manage expectations in advance."-TFC
4. Check with The Florida Comeback
"Visit @thefloridacomeback on Instagram for implementations, tips, and reviews. That's our job! The Florida Comeback is about safety implementations and our personal experience reviews. A wealth of information regarding hospitality spots can be found simply by following us." -TFC
5. Don't Limit Yourself to the Typical Spots
"There is still a lot of fun to be had in Florida and we are so fortunate to be able to do so much outside. Yes, we do outings at the theme parks but most of our time is spent outdoors at gardens, state parks, museums, farms, and then we select eateries along the way to enjoy on patios, or to-go in order to picnic-style it."-TFC
So, are YOU ready for the comeback?
“Our two goals for 2021 are building a resourceful website with in-depth experiences, city guides, and support of more local businesses. The second goal… is to start collaborating with other brands that align with our focus, passion, and great service. We want to be known for our detailed and trustworthy content that leads to great experiences for our followers.”