With several weeks of reopenings behind so many restaurants, we’re starting to get a glimpse of what things are going to be like for the foreseeable future. We’re entering the “new normal,” if you will.
While it’s not my favorite phrase, it gets the point across effectively enough. This is just the way things are going to have to be. It’s what normal is going to have to look like. And adjustments have to be made.
Here’s five suggestions your restaurant can use to help adjust to the current state of the world.
Hand sanitizer. If you’re at all like me, you’ve started washing your hands a lot more these past few months. I’ve started keeping hand sanitizer in my car just to make sure my hands are clean after any visit I’ve made in public. Whether I’m grocery shopping or pumping gas, it’s good to have ready.
But eating out is different from grocery shopping or pumping gas. You shop for groceries because you have to. You pump gas so that your car can take you home. Eating out is an experience you want to enjoy. You want to feel comfortable. You don’t want to sit there thinking about how badly you want to clean your hands. That’s why I recommend investing in a hand sanitizer dispenser. Not only will it promote safety, but also ease of mind.
Don’t stop communicating. Even as the pandemic continues to develop into “just the way things are,” continuing to communicate with your customers is something your restaurant must make sure it’s still doing. Your customers want to be assured that you’re still watching out for them, whether it’s through updated safety precautions, adjustments to your hours, or just a simple reminder of what you’re doing to help.
Don’t be afraid to reassess things. Adjusting to the “new normal” is going to be different for every restaurant (and frankly every business). Taking another look at how your restaurant maintains profitability will help to ensure its long term survival.
A more takeout-driven marketplace is forcing many restaurants to pivot toward a fast casual approach. If your restaurant isn’t a fast-casual, then adopting similar practices may help boost business. Focusing on quick table turnovers and takeout-centric cuisine are just a couple ways to do so.
Be flexible with seating. When restaurants first opened, I noticed that many establishments were opting to leave certain tables empty in order to comply with social distancing. With reduced capacities, along with customer avoidance to eating out, this made sense. But as those capacities go up, and more people become willing to head back into restaurants, look at how you can change your seating chart in order to accommodate the most number of people as safely as possible.
In certain cases, there’s only so much you can with your seating chart. Outdoor seating is another option to consider. If your restaurant has outdoor space available, it’s absolutely worth Last week, we highlighted four different ways restaurants can improve their outdoor seating. Click here to check it out.
Follow CDC considerations. If you ever find yourself unsure of how your restaurant should be handling certain health-related decisions, the CDC maintains an updated list of considerations for restaurants and bars that are worth checking out. These considerations cover things like cleaning and disinfection, ventilation, maintaining healthy operations, keeping employees healthy, and other crucial advice.
You can click here to see the CDC’s full list of considerations.
Move Forward With CoGoBuzz
With CoGoBuzz, we’re here to help your restaurant succeed as it moves forward from the pandemic. Our state-of-the-art digital marketing service can help your restaurant build and maintain a strong base of loyal customers, which will ultimately help your restaurant survive.
Our service directly promotes your services to customer mobile devices. Leveraging advanced WiFi, SMS, and Email solutions, CoGoBuzz promotes your restaurant both in-store and out. It comes packed with a fully digital, text-based loyalty program, allowing you to let your customers know what services you’re offering – all with just a simple text. Click here to learn more about CoGoBuzz.
Whether you’re one of our current customers, or you’re interested in joining the CoGoBuzz family, we’re committed to helping businesses affected by COVID-19.
For current customers, we’re providing free text message service, allowing you to send a link to order online, purchase gift cards, and/or notify customers of new hours.
For new customers, we’re offering our hardware at cost, donating our services, time, and covering shipping costs. Prepare for the future with CoGoWiFi Free to collect your customers’ phone numbers. There are no contracts or monthly fees, and we offer unlimited customer data storage.
Message from our CEO
“From pricing to packaging, our mission has always been to provide customers with unbeatable value. That’s why, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, we are seeking to provide the most aggressive offers to help suffering restaurants survive. We believe that half of small restaurants will fail in the year after operations return to normal. The restaurants that survive and thrive will be the ones that win loyalty and focus on bringing customers back over the following year.”
– Steve Gould, CEO
Click here for more details on how we’re handling the crisis.
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What is your restaurant doing to adjust? Let us know in the comments.