Saturday Market plans during "shelter in place"

The Salem Saturday Market will be opening for the season this Saturday.

Farmers markets are classified as “essential services,” which are allowed to remain open during the current “shelter in place” orders. I recognize that for local farmers and their customers, the market is absolutely essential, whereas for a coffee vendor like me it may not be.

After some deliberation, I am still planning to vend at the market this Saturday, after which I will assess how effectively I was able to manage public health concerns and my own profitability.

We are accustomed to visiting the market as a kind of “social outing.” Unfortunately, for now we must think of it as more like going to the grocery store. If by vending coffee at the market, I come to realize that I am creating a crowded atmosphere in which it is not practical to maintain six feet of social distancing then I plan to close my booth. That said, I am hoping that people will show up to support the local farmers who depend on the market to sell their produce and that we can maintain a safe atmosphere for people to purchase a variety of important goods in one stop as an alternative to the grocery store..

To that end, here's a list of new things for our booth:

1. Option to pre-order coffee for pick-up at a discount. Order coffee before Friday morning from the following webpage and pick it up from our booth on Saturday. (Benefit: no in-person exchange of cash or card that could transfer germs; quick transaction that avoids overcrowding at the booth.) https://www.steelbridgecoffee.com/market.html
2. Option to pay from your smartphone. Download the Paypal Mobile App and purchase items at our booth by sending money to “[email protected]”. (Benefit: no exchange of cash that could transfer germs.) *Unfortunately, only the Paypal Mobile App will work, not other similar apps.
3. Option to buy a punch-card redeemable for 10 cups of coffee; buy the card for $25 (a $5 savings) and use it week by week. (Benefit: fewer exchanges of cash that could transfer germs; quick transactions to avoid overcrowding)

Furthermore, you can expect coffee service to take a little longer, as I'll be handling all the cream and sugar (no self-service for now). Lines will need to form with six feet of distance between customers. Plan to use the Paypal app or a card rather than cash as much as possible (I will be using gloves for handling cash). Please avoid touching items that you haven't committed to purchasing. If you are feeling sick in the slightest, please stay home.

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