If your restaurant is keeping the lights on amid the coronavirus pandemic, status-quo business plans no longer apply. Two experts in the off-premises space are recommending operators make critical changes immediately to get through this crisis, while also setting their restaurants up for success when normalcy finally returns to the dining room.

If your local gym isn’t closed due to COVID-19 already, it likely will be soon. TruFusion, an everything-in-one studio backed by athletes such as Russell Wilson and Alex Rodriguez, decided to offer online classes for members ranging from bootcamp to yoga to Pilates.

Franchises are—or should be—in the third wave of crisis communication, said Lorne Fisher, CEO of Fish Consulting. “It’s how do we re-engage with customers” and keep the brand relevant “even if you’re not open." Fisher and other industry professionals in PR and brand marketing offered tips for franchises as they navigate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

9Round pulled out all the stops to make a slew of new online workouts for members as COVID-19 leads to mass closures.

Franchisee attorneys Robert Zarco and his partners have a new big target: insurance companies, which are routinely denying business interruption claims made by restaurant, hotel and other operators amid COVID-19 shutdowns mandated by the states.

“This is the time for smart people … to double down and really become aggressive with what you’re doing,” said Bryon Stephens, co-founder of Pivotal Growth Partners, which focuses on accelerating emerging brands. “Be a contrarian” while others are pulling back.

A major COVID-19 relief bill approved by the Senate now heads to the House, which is expected to vote Friday, March 27.

Franchisors are offering royalty and other relief to their franchisees during the COVID-19 crisis, along with advice and encouragement, while often feeling pain themselves.

Red Robin smartly began investing in its off-premises channels a few years ago, bolstering its online ordering platform and partnering with third-party delivery services to meet consumer demand. But, as the brand noted back in 2018, the most profitable transaction is when guests order online and pick up their food in the restaurant, which saves on front-of-the-house labor and skips the commission charge normally paid to the delivery service.

While it’s probably obvious that restaurant traffic is down as state and federal mandates require the majority of U.S. dining rooms close, traffic and sales data show the full breadth of the damage so far.

Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Starbucks and Chick-fil-A were the first brands to announce they would shut down dining rooms but remain open for delivery and to-go orders. Short of full closures, many restaurant companies are significantly tweaking operations as coronavirus-necessitated social distancing radically impacts the industry.

Amid all the chaos and fear, Edible Brands President Cheikh Mboup took a hard look at the company and how it could not just survive, but perhaps innovate.