More than a year ago, the whole world has been hit by Covid-19 and one of the most affected is the restaurant industry. Strict lockdowns inevitably restricted people from gathering and going out to eat. Essentially, almost erasing dining in from our vocabulary. There are 3 Simple ways how restaurants adapted to the Covid-19 Pandemic
Many restaurants, particularly in full service, saw their business slowly deteriorate. Some were forced to close while those that stayed pivoted to exclusively off-premise business.
While this may be a major test to restaurant owners, one thing is for sure: They did not take this lying down. This article will discuss 3 simple and practical ways how restaurants were able to adapt to the effects of this pandemic.
Build your online presence. Being visible on social media is essential right now. Normally, business owners avoid inundating people with messages. But right now it’s better to have regular communication as people have less to do because of the lockdowns. And they’re spending more time on their computers and phones.
Keep your customers informed of your business hours, special offers, and delivery or takeout options.
This is also the best time to leverage online ordering. Due to fear of contamination, customers have switched to online ordering from dining in, where they can order in just a few clicks.
To provide this experience to your customers, you can opt to collaborate with food delivery service providers or come up with your own ordering platform. It will depend on where your business is currently in and as well as your financial status.
Optimise your menu offering. During these times, it’s important to optimize your menu as most orders have become delivery-focused. Being easy and safe to transport should be considered when you plan your menu.
The food presentation, texture, and taste are not the same compared to when it’s being served freshly in dine-in facilities. Thus, the need for more compact, easy-to-prepare, and customer-friendly food arises.
Furthermore, you should also take a deeper look at the dishes that are not making any sales and are just increasing the cost of inventory. Such dishes need to be struck off the menu altogether.
Building a limited menu can also make it easier for customers to choose their order. In addition to this, you can also adjust menu prices by observing your competitors and market trends.
Develop and introduce new innovations. This pandemic era welcomed some new innovations in the restaurant industry. One example is ready-to-make kits that can help customers recreate the authentic taste of their favorite dishes in their own homes.
Digitizing the kitchen is another way to innovate how the food is being prepared. It can help in handling multi-channel orders since recently dining in is already allowed in some places.
Restaurant owners can also take simple additional steps to make customers feel their concern. Even small acts of kindness like providing hot towels to go with their delivery orders will mean so much. This shows that your business gives importance to safety and sanitation and this is a big plus especially now.
If you think this is a good idea and would like to do it in your own restaurant, you can reach out to Oshiklenz through (+61) 2 9533 2211 or email info@oshiklenz.com.au.