How to make COVID-19 work for your restaurant business?

The COVID-19 has shown no mercy on any of the industries, including restaurants. The first wave of the pandemic is over. However, the lingering uncertainty over the second wave is breathing down the neck again.

In the case of secondary dining-room shutdowns, even more restaurants could entirely collapse or temporarily cease operations. Nevertheless, this time it should not come as a complete shock. Back in March or April, the crisis hit out of the blue. No precedents, no situations to refer to.

This time, therefore, restaurants have a bit more space to identify the lessons, inhale some cases of real success and exhale ready-to-implement strategies ahead of the next onslaught lurking around the corner.

Starting point: securing thousands of masks? Not really

Protective face coverings and disinfectants are important; however, not the priority. According to a speedy delivery expert ZITICITY, there is enough evidence to point out the following aspects as the main to take care of.

STAFF. The major concern of any restaurant has to be the employees that need appropriate training to get acquainted with the emergency policies to get your business further operating.
KITCHEN. It is the primary room requiring the most careful attention. It has to be regularly sanitised and equipped with proper items for quality food storage.
PRODUCTION & CAPACITY. In the case of a crisis, the first aid to restaurants is a well-balanced production. It is crucial to carefully assess order peak times, evaluate your production capacity and precisely count the time needed to prepare the meal.
LOGISTICS. As the first wave of the COVID-19 showed, an efficient way of deliveries is a critical tool to successful operations under pressurised circumstances. Are you powering your deliveries through the marketplaces, this way paying the lion's share in terms of commissions? Running your fleet but struggling with a sufficient amount of human resources? Lacking the delivery option at all? Rethink, reconsider and replan. Embrace the delivery of meals. This service is no longer a luxury; it is the ordinary way of making money.

Go contactless, minimize the amount of sharable items

The four main areas addressed above are only the tip of the iceberg, though. For someone, of course, these measures might seem as natural as a cup of coffee in the morning. However, as it usually happens, the apparent things pumping up on the surface are the hardest to spot. Thus, these need to be regularly checked. After going through and making all the basic process work, it is urgent to go even deeper.

ZITICITY points out that in times of prevailing social distancing, restaurants need to focus on the CONTACTLESS INTERACTIONS with its customers, suppliers and even among the teammates. It is already not a one-time necessity; it is the new normal.

For example, online ordering is one of the tools keeping most restaurants afloat right now. Do you offer this option and is it user-friendly enough? If not, now is the right time to take care of it.

By the way, did you know that 38% of people fear touching shared items like cutlery, chairs or cash? So, make additional efforts to minimise the number of shared objects at your restaurant. Boost your customers’ confidence to go out and choose your place.

Pivot restaurant business

Do you know what tactic has been employed by Noma, the best restaurant in the world? The company has TAILORED ITS EXISTING BUSINESS MODEL. The company has chosen the path that proved to be a big gainer during the pandemic.

ZITICITY provides that before the second wave of the COVID-19 approaches, restaurants need to evaluate their services and, if necessary, re-shape the business. There is no need to reinvent the while; it is advisable just to stay open-minded and consider every option, be creative, offer your community what they need, eliminate or put on hold operations of no current value. For example:

reduce menu
introduce meal delivery to home offices/family packs
offer business lunch delivery
put into service pre-cooked food option
launch restaurant’s meal kits, etc.

Restaurants that can be flexible will be the most successful. No company has its business model written in stone; thus, there is a lot of space for any type of modifications.

Make use of the already working practices. And it is not about copying. It is about adopting and taking your individual approach in execution.

Employ technologies and innovations

Considering all the gains and failures coming out of the first COVID-19 wave, there is a substantial room for the idiom 'only the strongest survive' to be modified into 'only the most innovative and technologically-advanced survive'. At least in the context of restaurants.

Usually, technologies are associated with huge spendings. However, ZITICITY reassures that innovative solutions are not expensive and extremely effective in boosting your business activities.

When circumstances erase the need to physically fill your restaurant seats, EMBRACE TECHNOLOGIES AND ONBOARD INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS to have better contact with your customers. Some hacks from the ZITICITY are as follow:

Create a website. Wondering why it is essential? Simply to be found! Additionally, you would be able to solve a lot of problems related to orders and deliveries by simply having all in one place.
Go digital. These days there is no other way than to think promotionally. Create social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or any other serving your purpose. Set your Google My Business Accounts.
Stay present online. Secure your business with some extra space to communicate with clients, build the authority and gain better exposure among your competitors. Recruit your social media to reduce social distancing.
Empower offline advertising. If, following the first wave of the COVID-19, the circumstances and regulations allow outdoor activities, consider participating in local events as a food supplier or sharing flyers with people around you. Offline activities still contribute to improved reliability and a growing reputation.

The key to success hides in the ability of your restaurant to pivot and adapt to a rapidly evolving environment quickly.

Practical guide FREE of charge

So many suggestions and no detailed answer on how to do these? The team of ZITICITY has compiled a thorough help-book dedicated to restaurants, providing all the steps to have these methods introduced and executed. To help restaurants stay afloat and even make the chaos work for them. Notably, to work profitably.

The help-book is a practical advisor, focusing on the actions that have to be applied to be ready on time. It contains effective solutions, tips and best success stories to follow for FREE.

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